


Indulging In Sin || Mystic Messenger Various x Reader

by C_A_T_M



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Including ray and v routes, Multi, My First AO3 Post, bruh, kinda ridiculous this entire thing, never used this site before, so forgive my crap posting, spoilers for all routes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-04-22 23:16:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 60
Words: 123,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14319228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/C_A_T_M/pseuds/C_A_T_M
Summary: Where worlds collide and mesh together. Their lives, their hopes, their dreams lie on no one but themselves. All they can do is live in the moment and be free, and who else can help them if not you?A oneshot book that means the world to me





	1. Cover~ || V x Fem Reader

**Author's Note:**

> This work contains slight mentions of self harm, please read at your own discretion.

He watched silently, through his horribly deteriorating vision, as beautiful drawings painted themselves on the clear skin of his wrist. Swirl and curls covering every gorgeous inch of his skin.

It was becoming almost a daily occurrence, seemingly random yet unique drawing popped up on different areas of his body, before rubbing themselves off the next day. 

Usually, they weren't too big. Just small enough to cover up with clothing. But he had once received a drawing that extended from his neck, all the way down to his belly button. The artwork was intricate and exquisite, but he had to cover it up with a turtle neck, and by the time he was able to inspect it properly - it had disappeared.

They tended to be monochrome, only black ink being used. However, once in a blue moon, they would be bursting with colours and he would find himself marveling at them with a slack jaw. The sheer talent used astounded him to no bounds. 

Sometimes, if the mood struck him, he would take pictures of them. It had always intrigued him how they just flowed over his skin, like his body was a canvas waiting to be decorated. 

He had always believed that it was _her_ who had been doing this. But was brought harshly back to reality once she had seen them in real life; asking him why he defaced his pure skin in such a way. 

Of course he had never responded, choosing to hold back his tongue despite the animosity building up inside him at the insults.

She was his sun after all.

He only wished he knew why they chose to draw so much. And on their body too.

Eyes traveling away from the ink trailing up his forearm, he decided to go outside and take a walk. Maybe to clear up his mind, but mostly to try and take in all the sights he could before his sight vanished for good.

 

She sighed, the exhale low and breathy as she lifted the pen up from the surface of her skin. Tilting her head, she admired the freehand doodling. She didn't deem herself a professional in the least, but it was a good piece of work she had to admit. 

It did well in covering up the things she didn't wish to see. 

She knew that that only the drawing you did and the writing you wrote on your skin were transferred to your soulmate, but she couldn't help but want to cover it up for their sake. 

They didn't deserve such marks covering their skin. Even if it never showed. 

The scar ran long and thin over the expanse of her forearm, causing disgust to bubble in her stomach. She hated how ugly it looked, yet she was the one who had caused it. 

Trailing a slender finger along the now dry ink, she silently drank in all the little scars littering her skin. All of them only added to the picture in their own way, but she couldn't say she liked them.

Tearing her eyes away from her arm, she stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. 

A baggy sweater, pajama bottoms and a messy bed head. The normal look. It was what was under the clothing that made her feel ashamed.

Running a hand through her tousled locks, she decided to look out the window. Nothing but blue skies filled her vision and she found herself smiling, the actions almost foreign on her mouth. 

"I guess I'll go outside. Just this once." 

 

The sun light hit her eyes harshly, almost blinding her as she walked out towards the park. She was sincerely regretting not taking her sunglasses.

Her sleeves were rolled up, exposing part of the drawing that still resided on her skin. She quite liked how it had turned out, and wanted to display a part of it to the world. 

Even if she wasn't completely comfortable with exposing her entire hand, she wanted to prove to herself that she could over come these things in her life. 

Smiling to no one in particular, she carried on walking towards the park near her home. It tended to be quite empty, with the occasional person passing through as it wasn't near any main roads or busy areas. A quiet place where she could just relax for a while. 

Entering the park, the solitude hit her almost instantly and her smile grew bigger. 

The quacking of the ducks caught her attention and she walked quickly over towards it. Bread wasn't something she gave to ducks, knowing how bad it was for them and the water, so instead she brought out some sunflower seeds from her back pocket. 

Tossing them into the pond, the sound of splashing water graced her ears as she watched the birds fight each other to get the food. It was lucky that she even had any seeds left, since she never bought them for herself, and nor did she go out enough to feed ducks regularly.

As her eyes were glued to them, she noticed that a shadow had began looming over her without a word.

Her head instinctively tilted upwards and she had to momentarily stop breathing to hide the gasp that had almost escaped.

In front of her was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. His blue hair shone with the golden rays of the sun, reflecting onto his skin and creating a healthy glow. His perfect pink lips were pulled into a small, yet sincere simper and he looked not at all threatening. And his aura was just one of kindness and care.

She then noticed the thick and dark sunglasses covering his eyes, as well as the white cane in his hand 

'Oh.' She thought. 

'He's blind.' 

Being inconsiderate of other people was not in her agenda, so she shuffled up along the bench and invited him to sit down, gulping down her nerves.

Tingles ran aggressively down her spine and she shook her arm slightly to try and get rid of the sensation. The action causing her sleeve to roll down a fair amount and expose the drawing for all its worth.

She hadn't even noticed, too busy trying to figure out why she suddenly felt like the wobbliest jelly on earth.

His own cyan hues trailed slowly down to his identically decorated arm, and he felt his breath hitch. It couldn't be a coincidence. There was no way. 

Everything was in the right order, and not a single dot or dash was missing on his or her arm. 

Now, the hard part was bringing it up. And the lord knew he had no tact when it came to things like this, Luciel had more of a chance at being smooth. 

But he had to, maybe this time he could help someone who would accept it. Who could maybe help him.

"Excuse me?"

Her head whipped around so fast that he was surprised she didn't get whiplash.

"Yeah?"

Steeling his nerves, it was now when it was either do or die. And by god did he feel like he was going to die.

"I think you may be my soulmate."


	2. Toyshop~ || Vanderwood x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work contains slightest spoilers for the secret endings.

The store had opened an hour ago, her fingers tapping against the wood of the counter she was sat behind. 

In her vision were rows upon rows of amazing toys that Saeyoung had spent hours meticulously planning and putting together. Every single item on the shelves were handmade, and therefore had alot more value than anything that was mass produced. 

The entire family had helped to make something. Saeran had designed the aesthetics for the robot dog companion, Saeyoung had done the actual building, Vanderwood had cleaned the finished product and packaged it, and she had looked over the entire process and occasionally created small designs that either of the twins would then implement.

Her mood always greatly improved whenever she was in the store, the air smelling of Honey Buddha Chips and melted sweets.

But sometimes, the store was slow to gain business and traction.

So once again, the soft drumming of her finger filled the silence around her, her eyes starting to close from the solitude, only to be jarred awake by the sound of a bell tinkling, the tell tale sign of someone entering.

Standing up quickly, she was just about to launch into her welcoming speech when she noticed and recognised the head of brown hair that barely peaked over the top of the copious amount of shelves.

Waiting a few seconds for confirmation, a bright smile tugged at her lips as she spotted her favourite ex secret agent.

"Ah, hi Vandy." Mocha brown hues connected with her own, his visage as expressionless as ever as he nodded slightly in greeting.

Truth be told, she really did like the male. His unique personality and slightly brash actions appealed to her in ways she didn't quite understand. All she knew was that she loved his presence.

"How are you?" She questioned as he entered the staff room, a room joined to the counter with an open door. 

"Alright. Same as always." His response was curt and short, as to be expected from him; his long legs making him reach the seat behind her quickly.

"You're so cute, Vandy." Glancing upwards towards the female that fiddled with the secure till, she caught his gaze with a good natured simper.

Scanning the store, he noticed that the eccentric owner of the store wasn't present. 'That's weird.' He thought, Saeyoung was always present in his beloved shop.

"Where is that id-" Cutting off his words, she turned around to face him with no trace of the smile she had just mere seconds ago.

"Idiot, yeah I know. He's with Saeran at the clinic, he had a breakdown in the middle of the night and wouldn't calm down for hours. I don't think he's coming in today." Okay, now he felt like a douche bag.

The only few people that knew specifically what had happened two years ago knew just how bad Saeran's breakdowns could become if he wasn't helped. He became a danger to himself and others around him, so it was only natural that Saeyoung would take the day off to help his brother out as much as he could. 

He assumed she knew the reason because she had been woken up by Saeyoung, they may as well have all lived together with the amount of time she spent at the bunker.

"I might close up the shop early. I need to go with V to his therapy session." Brow raising, his mouth didn't mkve in question but she knew what he was asking.

"He was in an abusive relationship, he deserves to have someone just there with him." Nodding at the sincerity in her words, his eyes trailed along her figure as she sat down in the seat beside him.

Her fingers subconsciously trailed along her own heart, tracing the scar which the bullet had left behind. It had only been a few millimetres away from piercing her heart, and she was lucky to even be sitting there.

"I don't understand why you're not getting help. You got shot." His expression remained deadpan, even when she smiled cheekily at him.

"That doesn't matter. The only place I got felt something was here," her hands clasped over each other as she placed it over her heart, "when I first saw you." 

What a flirt.

Unable to stiffle a snort at her ridiculous implications, he side glanced her from the corner of his hues.

"Hey, do my fingers look yellow to you?" The question was incredibly stupid, yet he looked straight into the 'o okay' sign that rested on top of her leg.

Hissing at her laughter and the sting he felt in his arm a few seconds after, he glared venomously at her.

"You're damn childish."

"Work in a toy store, go figure." Before he was able to conjour up anymore smart remarks, the jingle of the bell above the door had made her dart up.

A female, no older than the other two currently in the store, walked in with wonder clear in her blue irises. The place tended to have that effect on people.

He watched her interact with the customer, her voice clear and friendly as she guided her towards the robot companion isles. The mess of hair that belonged to her had disappeared, hidden by the tall shelves the towered ominously.

He sighed.

What a downgrade. 

From the constant adrenaline rushes he experienced as an informant whilst running from bullets and avoiding death, to working in a toy store with three other people who were all he had left.

He couldn't entirely blame the redheaded hacker for his change of life either, he had agreed to help Saeyoung and betray the agency. 

Yet, he didn't entirely regret his decision. Sure he did miss the thrills of his old life, but being able to relax and not having to worry about someone showing up to kill him in his sleep was lovely.

He had also met her, his fellow worker who was nothing but kind to him. She put up with all his snark, his bad moods, his annoyed rants and his very inconsistent feels. Out of everyone he knew, she was the most down to earth and, was quite frankly, a breath of much needed fresh air.

Hearing her talk with the customer made his chest constrict, his heart drumming happily in his chest with her every word.

It didn't help that she would always flirt, and relentlessly at that. She knew just what to say to wind him up and then exasperate him to no end.

"Do you have any dogs? We have a few different 'breeds' on offer." He couldn't make out their response, but it seemed to be a positive one.

"That's great, I'll leave you to pick out whatever you like. If you need me at all, do just ask for me." She reappeared once again, slipping back behind the counter in one swift movement.

Spotting his slightly forlorn expression, her fingers gently brushed his cheeks as she tucked away a stray strand of hair behind his ear. 

"Have you found a job you like yet?" He was so talented, yet he never mansged to stick to one job. His excuse being that not many people had use for agents that betrayed their agency.

"No, no place suits me " Chuckling heartily at his phrasing, her body sunk further into the plush material of the chair.

"How about C&R? They're always willing to hire people who have varied skills." Shooting her an unamused stare, he scoffed.

"That rich guy's company? As if, I would rather work here." He looked like he was going to carry on, but the woman had arrived at the register, a packaged black robotic dog in her arms.

Vanderwood beat her to the punch, rushing up to the register to compete the transaction.

Her head shook at his actions, he was kind; he just never admitted to it.

"I'm glad you had different colours. White is pretty 'nd all, but black is gorgeous." The black one did have a superior gleam to it's painting.

"Did you like this one?" She nodded happily, the money handed quickly to Vanderwood a she tucked the box into a plastic bag provided.

"I love it, and I know my niece will love it too!" 

"I hope you both have a good day!" The lady yelled a loud 'you too' before leaving them alone in the store once more.

A comfortable silence fell, one where both parties felt relaxed enough not to say a word.

But obviously, she never could keep her mouth shut.

"…I'm really sorry." Out of everything that could have left her mouth, he was not expecting an apology.

"For what?" 

"Just in general. You lost your job, your income, and now you're on the run and working in a toy shop with me." 

"So what?" He didn't understand why she was apologising, it wasn't like she had forced him to do any of those things. If anything, he was almost glad that he did what he had done.

"I can't help but feel responsible." 

"Well you're not responsible, so quit it." His gruff responses warmed her from head to toe, she knew it was his way of showing gratitude.

The next question almost made him choke on his own spit, so invasive that he had to take a few seconds to process it.

"Where do you live?" 

"Why do you care?" 

Pouting, her cheeks resembling chipmunks, she crossed her arms and stared at him.

"Co-workers care."

"In an apartment." That was … Something at least.

"Well, just so you know. If you ever need somewhere to go, my home is always free." Why did she care so much, what did it do for her? She gained absolutely nothing by helping him.

"Again, why do you care so much?"

"Co-workers c-" 

"Don't give me that bullshit." A soft grin broke out on her lips, her upper body meaning closer towards him as her breath fanned his face in a light caress. 

"I care because I like you, okay? You're so weird and I like that, you're not like anyone I've met and you interest me. That's why I care so much." The skin of his cheek which her lips had touched tingled from the fleeting and barely there kiss. 

And just like that, she had ran out of the room and almost flew into the stock room. There was no effort made to catch her, or to even demand an answer.

His heart pounded loudly against his rib cage, the blood could be heard rushing past his ears as he struggled to fight down the blush that rose sneakily onto his cheeks.

A year ago he wouldn't have dreampt of falling in love.

But here he was, head over heels for a carefree female that had the world's weight on her entire shoulders.

He wasn't meant to care about snyone else, he shouldn't have loved her like he did. 

And he hated her for it, because he knew that she would weasle her way into his life's buisness. She had already made home in his heart and he could only curse her out for the things she did to him.


	3. Alone~ || Unknown x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work contains mentions of depression and self hatred, read at your own discretion.

Her throat burned.

Her chest felt as though it was on fire, her heart contracting painfully and her saliva tasting coppery.

There was nothing she could do to stop the tears flowing down her face like torrents of rain, the salty residue sure to leave stains.

She was so pathetic. So weak. So useless.

Here she was, cowering on her bed like a filthy _coward_ feeling nothing but pity for herself, her emotions consuming her whole in its dark inky clutches.

The question was what had caused this flood of agonising self hatred. And the answer was that she did not know. Whispers of negativity had reared when she had spoken to Zen; the beautiful and insanely talented actor who was going to go far. The seed of self doubt had sprouted and grown with every word exchanged until she no longer felt security in her own body.

Furiously wiping away tears with the back of her hand, she sniffled and stared at her phone screen through the blurriness in her vision.

Oh how she wanted badly to speak to someone, and yet she didn't wish to disturb anyone. The last thing she wanted was for anything to think less of her, and certainly not the kind members of the RFA.

They didn't deserve to be disturbed by her self loathing and pity.

Scrolling down the messages that she'd both sent and received - she stopped at the one at the very bottom.

'Who are you?' It read with two blue ticks beside it like a glaringly loud neon sign.

To Unknown, the message had been sent over a month ago and yet no response had been recorded. 

More than enough for her. There was such an incredibly low chance of them responding that the thought had barely crossed her hazy mind, her fingers working faster than her brain.

MC: Hello Unknown.

Deep breath in.

MC: My head hurts so much and I want to die

Deep breath out.

MC: I want to be happy…

Deep breath in.

MC: I want to be free from myself

Deep breath out.

MC: But I _**can't**_

Deep breath in.

MC: Because no one cares.

Deep breath out.

Her breathing had slowly began to regulate itself, her lungs no longer flaring up with every sharp inhale. Cold air soothed the back of her throat, not unlike a cough drop.

Her hands shook, trembling as she typed.

MC: I'm so worthless and useless and such a burden to everyone around me. 

MC: Even my own parents don't care.

Why was she even telling him any of this? If he see these messages she would most certainly only fall deeper into the pit she was suffocating in. However, her fingers never ceased in their furious typing onslaught.

MC: Alone.

MC: I'm all alone…

Suddenly, everything that she had pushed down began to surface, bubbling away angrily at her nerves and sanity.

A shrill scream passed her lips as she threw the device against the wall, the back thankfully hitting the wall with a thud and dropping to the floor.

Hands knotted themselves in already tangled hair as she whimpered, trying desperately to hold back fresh tears.

The sound of her ringtone made her fail in her task.

"Leave me alone! Leave me alone! Stop it! Please…" Hiccuping quietly and almost choking on her own soft cries, she lay on the cold bed shivering and tightly shutting her eyes to block out any hopes of light.

The ringing never ceased, the phone playing music and vibrating incessantly on the floor as it slowly lulled her into a deep sleep.

 

Goosebumps prickled her skin, trailing up and down her arms and legs as the sensation of being watched amplified. The cold had no affect on her, the blanket having been pulled up to her shoulders.

An odd occurrence as she was certain that she'd fallen asleep without pulling it ontop of her.

"That's weird. I didn't sleep with the blanket on." Propping herself up onto her elbow, the sticky trails of salty water hadn't left her cheeks even after being squashed up against a pillow.

Blinking away any haziness in her hues, they made a sudden connection with a bright, almost smothering, bright mint colour.

Her heart kept to her throat as she scrambled out of the bed, her senses on high alert as she realised that someone else had managed to enter the apartment.

She had no time to ponder over how they did so, instead she began cursing and running towards the apartment door.

Fingers just a few centimetres away from touching the cool metal of the door handle, she was pulled away and backwards, her chance of escape slipping through the cracks of her fingers like sand.

Her body hit theirs, their warm build and stature telling her that they were a male.

His chin rested on her head, his hands reaching around her back to twirl locks of her beautiful hair around his index finger with morbid fascination.

"I don't recommend you to scream, or I may be forced to silence and subdue you." A cold sweat covered her body, her head nodding slowly before being pressed against his chest.

His strong and steady heart beat filled her ears, unlike her own which strongly resembled a humming birds.

His hold loosened ever so slightly, and that she needed to step away at the speed of lightning, almost tripping over herself to back away.

"W-who the fuck are you?" He almost looked offended by the question, blue hues flashing with an unreadable emotion as he scanned her.

Finally, he lifted a large pale hand to his chest, resting it just above his heart with a frown.

"I'm hurt, Princess. How could you forget me so easily? You are the one that messaged me after all." She could have fainted in that moment, her blood running cold and turning to ice in her veins as her body went slack.

"…U-unknown?" 

He smiled, the actions making him look even creepier than present, but it only added to his unrivalled beauty.

"So you haven't forgotten me."

Gasping softly, her hands searched the expanse of wall behind her frnstucally in search of that damned door handle.

"What the hell are you doing here?" 

"You really do ask alot of questions." With a shake of his head, he shook another step closer, his eyes glowing brighter.

"I happened to feel quite sympathetic towards you. That is all. The messages you sent me just begged for a visit." 

"Messa-" He had read them.

Damn her unreliable luck.

"I didn't know you would actually respond to them!" He chuckled, the sound feel and rumbly, yet lacking humour.

"Well now you're aware." Her hands finally grasped the handle, the cold steel sending a jolt up her spine she pushed it down at an insane speed.

But before she was able to leave the apartment and run for her life, he hand was pulled away and held tightly in his own, the hold tight and warning, daring her to make a move.

She didn't.

"Why do you want to leave already? I went through quite a bit of hassle to come here undetected, you know." He tutted at her like she was a disobedient child and he the disappointed father.

His cold fingers laced themselves with her own, tugging her into him.

"What do you mean?" She tried to ignore the fact that he was petting her, his nimble digits running through her messy hair and taking out any tangles that came up.

"You don't need to know that. But you do need to know that we are very similar." His smirk made her frown.

"How?" As far as she was concerned, she was nothing like him. You didn't see her break into people's flats and send them to join weird organisations.

"You believe no one needs you. That you serve no purpose to anyone, not even the one's who are supposed to love you." A subtle dig towards her family.

His hand entangled itself further in her hair, her body still as she looked at him sceptically.

"But the difference is that I have found paradise. The Saviour has shown me true happiness, the path to salvation."

"The Saviour?" She asked.

"The Saviour." He confirmed with a firm nod.

He was so odd, but somehow that intrigued her. Unconsciously, she began to come closer, trying to pick away at his exterior to find his intentions.

"But why are you here?" Sure he stated why he had come, but not the reason he wanted to.

"I-i don't know." 

He sighed and relaxed slightly against her, her eyes travelling towards the glowing red letters that told her that it was 1:26am.

"Unknown..." The soft murmur passed her lips, inducing a quiet exhale from the male holding her.

"Shhh." Placing his finger against her lips, he gently pulled her back towards the bed.

Quite naturally, she began to pull away, slightly worried about what he was trying to do.

"Let me go." He shook his head.

"If you think I'm going to do anything to you, I'm not. I'm not allowed to hurt you." That didn't really ease her nerves, but his gaze held sincerity that couldn't have been faked. 

"Really?"

"Really."

She allowed him to guide her towards the bed, sitting down when he gestured towards it. The bed creaked as he sat down, his arm wrapping around her waist as they lay down.

Awkwardness crept up her spine, but if he felt the same he didn't show it in the least. Instead he held her tightly to his chest and let his head rest on hers.

"Soon you'll join me. Once the plan has gone through, we'll never be apart." That odd statement, instead of making her panic, made calm flood through her being. 

"You're weird." The whisper was almost inaudible to human ears, yet he heard.

"I guess so. But you don't really have much room to talk." 

"Shut up." He laughed, the vibrations seeing into her body and making her insides hum delightfully.

"I won't let you be alone, _(y/n)_."

Not too soon after, the warmth breaths hitting her head had sent her into a deep sleep, the male following soon after.

 

She was cold. 

Blinking, the figure that had lay next to her had disappeared, leaving only a pillow at her side. 

Disappointment flooded her being, but she knew that he had to leave sometime. He would have most definitely been caught by Luciel had he stayed any longer. 

She wasn't planning to tell him though. He didn't do anything to that apartment, or her. So there wasn't really any use in making him worry, was there?

Shaking her head and ridding herself of any doubts, her thoughts were so much clearer.

Climbing out of the empty bed, she spotted her phone on the bedside table, the light on her phone flashing to tell her about a new message.

"Huh?" Her eyes widened as she read the text, before a small smile settled on her lips.

_**'I hope you had a good sleep, Princess.'** _


	4. Agents~ || Saeyoung x Female Reader

This time he was on his own, and it was not going to be easy without Vanderwood to at least aid him in his breaking and entering escapade. 

He had been ordered to carry out this particular mission, and should he get caught or fail? Well, all that was needed to be said it was that Vanderwood would need new batteries for his tazer.

With a low hiss, he continued to slink inside the building, his appearance altered for the time being into a head of jet black hair and grey contacts. 

He had to commend the security they had, it was extremely tight knit and hard to infiltrate, being the cause of his week long suffering prior to this mission. In the end, however, they couldn't resist against his relentless attacks. 

Keeping his hood tightly over his head, he clutched his laptop tighter to his body and began to near the large system computer, hidden deep in the basement of the base.

There wasn't much risk of him being seen by the cameras seeing as he had looped the footage and added in backup tapes just in case. You could never underestimate your opponents, and he knew that well. 

Connecting his laptop to the server, he began to hack into the mainframe and the hidden documents, his main goal being anything that would frame the company in a bad light. 

This particular 'group' had been anonymously reported for abuse and mistreatment, but with no evidence to back it up, there wasn't much they could do. Well, that was until a clip of the owner slapping one of the agents had been sent and promptly deleted by unknown sources. 

Too absorbed in his work, he didn't notice that someone else had entered the room and was quickly turning the corner until a gunshot had been fired. 

Nearly jumping out of his skin, Luciel stood up quickly, the laptop ripped away from the giant super computer in front of him, his own gun drawn defensively. He was not going to fail this mission.

Suddenly, a fleeting shadow passed by his foot and the safety was taken off, murder was not above him when it was needed. 

Rivlets of blood trickled across the floor in front of him, pooling into a sickening puddle just a few inches away from him. 

How utterly disgusting. 

Yet he still remained in danger, the attacker may have been shot down, but the gun man was still around.

The sound of a small squeak made his gun click, his finger closer to the trigger.

"Hey, mate." A female, no older than him held her hands up in surrender, her own weapon situated on her belt.

"I just kinda saved your life, so maybe don't shoot me?" All his breath was knocked out of his lungs at the gall this girl possessed, his eyes narrowed in disbelief.

"I'm not kidding you know." Ever so slowly, her hands inched towards her belt with eye contact strongly maintained. The gun was pulled off its holder and placed on the floor beside her, an additional knife pulled out from her sock and onto the ground. 

He still wasn't convinced.

With an almost annoyed sigh, she kicked them away and held her hands up in surrender, before he slowly began to lower his arm.

"Why did you shoot?" 

"Didn't like him, pissed me off and he tried to gun you down." Staring at her ludicrously, his mind whirred with possible motives she might have had.

A blank was drawn.

"Tell me," her hands slipped into her pockets, a nonchalant smile across her rather attractive visage, "are you from the agency that old bastard is shitting himself over?" 

Luciel did not respond, only watching as she advanced, but not with any intent to harm. In fact, she came to sit beside his spot, her legs criss crossed without a single care for the crimson blood just a few feet away.

"Because if you are, I love you and I thank you. Dickhead deserves what's coming to him." Eyebrows furrowing at her friendly, if not strange mannerisms.

Shouldn't she be telling everyone about him, or at the very least trying to kill him?

She seemed to notice the laptop in his hold, her eyes flickering up to meet his temporarily grey ones.

"Hacker?" He nodded, inky strands of coloured hair falling into his view. 

"Don't talk much, do you?" Almost snorting at that particular comment, he thought about how his friends would have reached to her saying such a thing. 

"Aren't you going to tell your boss?" The simper that had previously been on her lips turned into a frown in speeds invisible to the human eye.

"Hell no, fuck him. I want to see the downfall of this shit show in full." Eyes flickering from the weapons to the seemingly harmless girl sat down expectantly, he finally decided to continue with his work. 

This time with company.

"Don't you care?"

"Not really, no." 

The sound of footsteps interrupted him once again, anxiety shooting through him as he stood up. She hadn't made any move to stand up however, making him wonder if she was going to just feign innocence and let him be caught.

She did just the opposite however.

"There's nowhere to hide here, trust me. Sit down" Whispering harshly, she grabbed his wrist and tugged him down into the space between her legs.

"Wha-" 

Interrupting him with a finger to her lips, she mimed for him to curl into himself, the hood pulled up over his head as she shielded him with her body so that it looked like she was just sat there.

"Who's there?"An unfamiliar voice called up, his eyes darting to his left to stare at the weapons near him.

"Ew, Seo. Fuck off, I'm already down here on patrol." He couldn't see the man named 'Seo', but he was able to sense the irritation radiating off the targeted male. 

"Sorry, not as if I stalk your god damn patrol schedule." 

"Don't care. Go away, loser." 

"Hoe bag." The man retorted almost making Luciel snort from the childish response.

"And proud." Putting an end to the arguing, the sounds of footsteps leaving the area allowed him to sigh quietly from relief. 

When she thought the area was clear, she moved away and allowed him some room. A shit eating smirk attached itself to her lips upon seeing the faintest shade of pink splashed across his cheeks.

"Are you embarrassed? I apologise, it was the only thing I could think of. Worked though." Shaking his head, strands of black flying across his face from the action, he sat back down to continue with his hacking; hopefully this time he would be able to complete it.

Five minutes had gone, and he had bypassed most of the additional security only to then hit a firewall.

Wanting to curse, she noticed his fingers clenching at the password that needed to be inputted.

"It's 07482653 hyphen then underscore 34246." 

Glancing at her from the corner of his eyes, the look of concentration urged him to im put the numbers and characters she had just spoken, and as if by magic - it had worked. 

"What exactly are you looking for?" There wasn't much of a risk telling her if she had just done all that to prevent him from being caught.

"Anything on your boss that could shut this place down. Maybe illegal dealing or mistreatment." Humming, she began to point to files that he then clicked. Before long, they were stopped by another password needed.

Holding up a single finger, she pulled out her phone and pressed on a very blurry picture that you could only just make out.

"One of the higher ups were discussing these video files and the dumbarse dropped the piece of paper. They picked it up quickly, but I managed to get a picture with the webcam I had since you're not allowed phones in that building." Taking the device from her hand, he quickly typed the code and they both waited impatiently with baited breath for the screen to load.

And it did.

Videos upon videos appearing with rather obscene and horrific thumbnails, Luciel copying them quickly to his USB and pocketing it. Deciding to press on one just for the sake of finding out what they were, he soon came to regret that decision. 

Images of a young man, younger than them both, being branded with red hot iron in the shape of a jagged infinity flashed across his screen. Multiple hands held him down as his arms were cut with the same symbol engraved into it, black paste smeared over the top to colour the wound.

Despite being gagged, the sounds of pain and agony were clear, her eyes flashing with nostalgia at the video until she was unable to look anymore.

"They do that to everyone, and if you refuse? Then... Well you know." Her voice was low and quiet, eyes almost devoid of life. 

Exhaling tiredly, she hauled herself upright and stretched. 

"You should go now, my patrol time is almost finished and someone else will be coming down." Gesturing to a small door at the back, she collected the key card of the corpse and wiped the blood off, handing it to Luciel.

"If you turn right, you can avoid cameras by going into the bushes and into the drainage system. It's not all that dirty." Instead of heading in the direction of the door like instructed to, he began to near her.

"Why don't you come with me?" It was almost comical how wide her eyes had become, spluttering questions.

"Haha, funny joke." With a roll of her dazzling hues, she began to walk away. Only to be jerked back.

Gazing into her eyes, the hold on her hand tightened as he began to walk to the door.

"I'm not joking."

With her shoes digging into the floor, it was proving difficult to tug her along.

"I can't. They know everything about me. They'll send a bullet through my head." He merely shrugged, scanning the card and opening the door with a sharp turn right.

"Doesn't matter, I can fix that. But you would have to go underground for at least two years to have a clean slate." She stopped resisting, hands going limp as a hopeful smile began to grow on her face.

"Really? You're not joking?" Shaking his head, he gave a small grin of his own.

"No joke. All I need is your name and you're free." 

Chuckling happily, she was more than glad to give him her name.

"I'm (y/n) (l/n). And may I know the name of my shining knight in armour?" 

"Luciel Choi." She raised a brow, knowing that he was lying.

"…Saeyoung." 

"Ah, thank you Saeyoung. You're my first love and Saviour." The warm and enveloping hug she gave was thanks enough, some of the colour in his hair rubbing off on her cheeks and clothing, not that she minded.

"Just a few minutes and you'll have a new life." 

 

And so the story goes, the female did go underground for two years, losing all contact she had with Saeyoung. Only to resurface under the new alias of 'MC' and in his own app no less.


	5. Bread || Zen x Fem Reader

His skin glowed, happiness radiating from his ethereal being as he walked down the street with a happy smile on his pale lips.

'That dress rehearsal went really well.' He was exceptionally proud of how smoothly the entire thing had gonna, no one had forgotten their lines nor had any costume mishaps.

And if he was being a bit narcissistic, he had to say his impression of a heartbroken, recently widowed man was spot on.

With another amazing rehearsal under his belt, he could confidently say that the actual production was going to be a huge hit.

Music playing loudly through his earphones, he walked down the street with a pleased glint in his beautiful crimson hues, barely noticing the people that followed him with their own eyes.

 

Before long, he was outside of the building he lived in, his bed practically begging for him to lay in it after all the effort he had put in today. There wasn't anything additional he needed to do either, the workout and work done and dusted with early on in the morning. If he was going to do anything for the rest of the day, it would probably be sleeping. 

Well, that was his plan until he realised that his stomach had been growling incessantly for a while now.

"I guess I should find something to eat." Knowing full well that he had nothing but beer and some stale biscuits sitting in his fridge, he decided to walk towards the goldfish bread stand.

Unfortunately, as he had been walking towards the small stall, he had bumped into someone.

"Shit." The woman he had just hit cursed as she looked sadly at the food that now lay in a sad mess across the floor, the contents splattered on the pavement haphazardly.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He couldn't help but feel bad, it was his fault that her food was currently spread across the floor.

"It's alright, don't worry. I need to diet anyway. I don't need any extra fat in my lunch." Laughing softly at the tragic sight, she gave him a bright smile that only made his guilt increase tenfold.

Shaking his head, he motioned for her to stay.

"Please, let me replace it." Her eyes widened as she shook her head, hair bobbing along with her movements.

"It's fine, really." 

"I can't possibly leave such a beautiful lady without a lunch, it would be a travesty if I did." The unexpected compliment made her cheeks heat up, something that didn't go unnoticed by the actor.

"Are you sure? I mean, I don't want to inconvenience you or anything." Her concern was cute, and her worried expression even cuter.

"Really, I want to."

"In that case, thank you." She wasn't going to pass up free food if she had a choice.

"You're welcome, just wait here." Flashing a grin, he walked towards the stall where the owner had been watching with an interested rise of his brow. And as soon as Zen was within hearing range, he began chuckling.

"You really are quite the gentleman." It was his turn now to flush from embarrassment, a soft pink tinge covering his cheeks as he deadpanned.

"It's the least I could do. I did make her drop it after all." The owner only chuckled heartily, muttering something about how chivalry was yet to die.

"How many would you like?"

Taking a quick moment to think about it, he decided on "4".

2 for him and 2 for the beautiful woman who's beauty was almost on parr with his own.

While the owner was placing them in a bag, he began to pull out his wallet, fishing out just the correct amount of change that was needed.

"Here you are." However instead of taking the money, the man shook his head and pushed the bag towards the albino, smiling encouragingly.

"It's on me." 

Instantly, he began to splutter multiple refusals, he couldn't possibly just take the food without paying. 

"I can't do tha-"

"Please, I wish for you to have this. You always bring me business when you stand near my stand, think of this as a symbol of my gratitude." Knowing that it would be rude if he refused anymore, he took the bag with a gracious smile, thanking the owner multiple times before turning back around.

 

"Here you are." Handing her the bag that contained two goldfishes, he admired her small yet pleased gasp.

"Two? You didn't have to do that!" Her shock was so pure and child-like that he had to smile, rarely ever did he meet people with such innocent expressions.

"I couldn't let you starve." Her brows furrowed, nevertheless she continued to beam.

"Well, may I atleast know the name of my knight in shining breadcrumbs?" The subtle joke wasn't missed.

"Zen, may I know yours?"

"(y/n)." Delicately picking up the hand at her side, he was just about to plant a chaste kiss on the top when she suddenly jerked away, a strained smile replacing the genuine and carefree one she had just moments ago.

Not understanding why she had wrenched her hand away so suddenly, he tilted his head, glistening silver locks framing his stunning complexion.

"Thank you for the food Zen, I hope you and your significant other have a great day!" 

What? He was so confused, just what did she mean by that? He hadn't hinted in anyway that he was in a relationship, so where had she gained that idea from?

….Oh.

Running up to the female that was walking away at a brisk pace, he placed a hand on her shoulder, stilling her.

"Yes?" Turning her head, she responded once she realised that it was him.

"I guess I gave the wrong impression, didn't I? This ring is a prop." He demonstrated by slipping it off and showing her the small engraving on the inside, the name of the studio he worked at printed into the back.

"I was acting as a married man and I forgot to take it off. I'm not cheating on anyone, I promise." He could tell she was slightly skeptical, if the narrowed and calculating gaze she was giving him was anything to go by. But she seemed to accept his explanation after a few seconds, her smile returning.

"That's good, because I was wondering if you would like to join me in visiting the new café that had just opened. I hear they have really nice pastries." He had been hit on many times before, so he knew that she was asking him out on a date.

And he couldn't say that he was too against the idea of spending time with a breathtaking lady. Much better sounding than just sleeping.

"Really? I was just craving some sugar."


	6. Hunger~ || Yoosung x Female Reader

Another term, another rush for good seats. Her bag was heavy on her back as she lugged herself towards the empty seats near the back. Unlike other forms of schools, such as secondary, most people preferred the front seats to hear the lectures and such better. Money was being thrown at the school after all, and if you weren't on a scholarship, then it would be financial suicide to muck around.

Eyes grazing over the back of the room, she found a row of seats that weren't occupied and opted to sit down in the dead middle.

There were five minutes until the class had officially begun, and if she was being honest, she didn't want to be here. She was tired, and hungry and just downright not in the mood; but she would power through for her parents.

They had high hopes for her, and she would rather stab her own eye ball than disappoint them.

Setting up her laptop and working area, she gently manoeuvred her bag in between her legs, her hands delving into the depths of the bag to grab a chocolate bar that would satiate her hunger.

Instantly, her mood brightened considerably as she bit into the sweet and cavity inducing goodness. She barely noticed that someone had tapped her shoulder for her attention.

"Hm?" Swallowing the sweet, her head inclined upwards to gaze at the person who had requested her time.

Standing shyly beside her was a blonde around the same age as her, perhaps younger. His bright violet eyes bore into her own before quickly averting downwards in submission, his thumbs fiddling with each other as he stammered out his words.

"Um, is anyone sat here?" With a glance glance towards the area in which he had guestured to, she shook her head with a welcoming smile.

"No, go ahead." His smile was thankful, his bag placed next to his feet as he pulled up his own laptop. 

The lecture had started, her mind wondering instantly into a million other subjects. Like what she would be having for lunch, that was the biggest topic on her mind.

"I'm Yoosung." Blinking out of her haze, she licked her lips in search of any remaining crumbs and faced the slightly awkward male.

"I'm (y/n). It's nice to meet you, Yoosung." Even if his demeanour was jittery it was more than likely from first day nerves, so she let it pass.

He cracked a wider smile, his eyes closing as he dipped his head respectfully before he turned back to the front, his eyes glued to the professor that paced back and forth.

Her own eyes were diverted back down to her bag however, the wrapper discarded in her pocket as she pulled out yet another bar of thick and chocolatey heaven.

This carried on for a while, the soft crinkling of the wrappers attracting his attention after he had seen her pull her fifth chocolate out of her bag. It was slightly worrying how many she was eating.

'How are her teeth still staying up?' he wondered as he side glanced her from the corner of his eyes.

Unfortunately for him, she seemed to notice his stare and made full eye contact before he was able to jerk his head away.

"Oh, I must seem like a fat bitch. Here, would you like one?" Pulling her bag up onto her knees, she allowed him to see into the haven for chocoholics.

He shook his head profusely, refusing politely until he saw her frown.

"Ah, come on. I won't run out, promise. My parents send me a ton every month." The subtle push was so inviting, his teeth sinking slightly into his lower lip as he contemplated taking one.

And he did, his fingers reaching in and grabbing one that looked appetising as he murmured his gratitude.

"It's alright, sharing is caring." 

 

That mantra never once let up. 

Every day she would come in with bag fulls of different foods, sometimes something sweet, or sometimes something savoury.

And every day, she would insist that he take some. Her main excuse being that she liked seeing his face light up, (with that confession bringing in a whole new shade of red on his cheeks).

Despite her constant chewing and eating, she never seemed to gain any weight. And that baffled him the most, he was sure that she should have gained a couple if pounds by now. Yet she remained twig like.

Today, she seemed to be munching away on some crisps, her mind was mainly focused on eating whilst writing the occasional note with the hand that wasn't covered in crisp residue.

He noticed, however, that they weren't just any normal crisps; they were honey buddha chips.

She seemed to have so many in her bag, the poor thing almost bursting at the seams with the amount of packets that hsd been stuffed into it. Although, that wasn't his main question. He just wondered from where she had managed to gather so many of the rare delicacy that cost an arm and leg to acquire.

His constant glances were noticed by the female after a while, her lips slightly salty from her make shift breakfast. 

But this time, she felt a little more mischevious than she had been the previous weeks.

He had caught her attention, and the irresistible urge to tease him began to grow with every day that she spent sitting beside him in the boring lecture room.

She already knew what she felt towards him, but she didn't think he knew. Yoosung may have been very academically gifted, but that intelligence didn't transfer much to his common sense. He wouldn't have known that her feelings had changed unless she sat down and explained it to him in a PowerPoint form.

Wiping her fingers, she began concocting a plan to try and grab his undivided attention.

"Yoosung, would you like some?" He had been waiting for that question, and she knew it.

"Can I?" Ah, ever the perfect gentleman.

"Sure," his hand reached towards her bag, only to narrowly miss the entrance as she jerked it away and onto the opposite side of hers legs, "but you have to do something for me.".

He would have stopped to think about the implications if it was any other food item, but all his sanity seemed to leave him once he smelt that beautiful scent of the crisps.

"Whatever you want!" His lower lip jutted outward into a sad pout, his big eyes shaking as his pride began to crumble.

"Aw, Yoosung-ah. You don't need to make that face, you just need to come to the diner outside of school at lunch. I promise I'll give you all the remaining bags if you do." Not even an ounce of hesitation in his words, he agreed with a hearty 'yes' and practically buzzed for the remainder of the lesson.

Thankfully for him, there wasn't too much time between lunch and the lesson he was in with her. There was only an hour.

She wasn't any better. The nervous chewing of her inner cheek worsened with every minute that ticked by, regret coming in slowly as she realised just what she had done - arranged an indirect date.

The appetite that never seemed to lessen, disappeared completely as she hurried out of her lesson, the bag swinging on her shoulders. 

The diner wasn't too far from the college, only a stone throw away from the campus, thus making it a popular hangout for students during lunch and free periods. 

Warm and homely furniture decorated the interior, her eyes instantly settling on a small booth in the corner. The deep purple was incredibly attractive, the window seat making it tons more appealing. 

Snagging the seat hurriedly, she placed her bag opposite her and waited patiently for Yoosung to appear, a milkshake ordered in the meanwhile.

Now that she was actually in the diner, she had time to think of what she was going to do. The crush she had on the blonde was beginning to become bothersome, her heart racing at every small thing he did. Either she told him and got rejected, or she told him and he accepted. Whichever happened, she would be fine with.

Though, she did sincerely hope it was the latter. 

The riciculousness of the situation was catching up with her. Here she was, the undercover daughter of a booming female CEO, crushing on someone in her class and luring them in with their favourite crisps. Humourous, indeed.

Her milkshake arrived at the same time as Yoosung, his breath slightly heavy from his fast paced walking. 

"Hi." Was his breathless greeting, his body spilling into the seat in front of her as she took a sip from her drink.

"Hey, you actually came." 

"Of course I did, I can't stand you up." Chuckling gently at his adorable speech, she pulled her bag and guestured for him to do the same.

"Here, I have tons left over." Upon seeing the absolutely ridiculous amount left, his jaw dropped ever so slightly open.

"How have you got so many? I swear you have to be rich to even think of trying one." Smirking lightly at his words, she placed the packets into his own backpack.

"I'm not rich, just crafty."

"You didn't steal them, did you?" Unable to help herself, she laughed out loud.

"Of course not, Yoosungie. I would never steal." Taking refuge within her words, he snagged a packet of crisps and began to slowly eat them, savouring the rare flavour.

His eyes closed in pure bliss, a content look on his face as he relaxed in his seat.

God, did he look absolutely stunning.

Grains of salt and flavouring stuck to his plump lips, his pink and cute tounge darting out from between them to lick off the extra. He really didn't know what he did to her, did he?

Taking another casual sip, her gaze remained tightly fixated on him enjoying every last bite. If she hsd known how much he adored them, she would have created the idea much sooner.

The urge to just lean over and kiss him was becoming unbearable, her hues constantly darting to the sight of him. Just him.

Vanilla, the flavour over her tounge was vanilla. The milkshake coating her taste buds as she gulped down her feelings. She would be content just sat here with him, right?

No was the answer.

"Hey, Yoosung." A single eye cracked open, his hand midway through the action of placing another crisp into his mouth.

"Hm?"

"You have a little something," The drink was placed on the table, her smile widening as he watched her with curiosity brimming in his irises, "here."

The odd combination of sweet and salty was surprisingly good, the vanilla mixing with the salt of the crisps. His mouth had opened in a gasp, her right hand pulling him closer as she held his shirt in a tight fist.

Her tongue didn't dare go past his lips, but the flavour was good enough to satisfy her. 

The low moan that escaped his mouth made her pull away, hot and heavy pants leaving him as he gazed wide eyed.

"Ah, shit. Yoosung, I'm so sorry!" Her apology seemed to bring him back to reality, his cheeks gaining a healthy red glow as he shielded his face from view.

"I- um." The poor boy seemed frazzled, his brain unable to cope with the copious amounts of embarrassment in his system.

She sat quietly, the taste of vanilla once again smothering her her taste buds as she waited for his response. It was now or never.

"I-it's okay. I liked it." Almost choking in her beverage, she had to cough a few times before she managed to once again make eye contact.

"Did I hear you right?" 

"I-i liked the kiss. A-and I like you." Despite the stutter in his voice, the conviction and determination in his ever expressive eyes were clear.

"Is that so, Yoosung-ah? Well then I guess that means I can do this." This time, the only taste was the sweetness of vanilla, the salt licked and cleaned entirely until nothing remained but the swollen redness of his lips.


	7. Brother Sae~ || Ray x Child GN Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work is split in 3 parts. Contains slight spoilers for Another Story and the secret endings as well as mentioning of neglect and drug abuse. Read at your own discretion.
> 
> **GN is Gender Neutral**

The bitter taste of the elixer burned his throat as it slid down into his stomach, the headache he felt easing up significantly as he felt the familiar fogginess envelope his mind.

He could never repay the Saviour do allowing him to drink such a wonderful concoction, all his worries melting away like butter under a hot knife. 

Today, surprisingly, he had finished all the work he had to do. The messenger was hacked and all traces were hidden, the files were ready and all he needed was the Saviour's say so. His legs itched to be stretched after being confined under a desk for so long. 

He had even slept at the damn wooden desk, the only light that illuminated the room was the soft blue glow from the monitors covering the wall.

With a soft sigh, he got up from his chair and walked towards the metal door that blocked off anyone that dared to come in unless prompted. 

The door squeaked loudly as he shoved it open, mind begging for some fresh air after inhaling nothing but the stale oxygen inside his room. Thankfully, it shut quietly without any loud ear splitting screeching.

Echos of his footsteps reverberated around the empty corridor, the hallway completely devoid of life as he walked towards the outside.

Catching sight of a believer in their designated dark hoods, he deemed it a due course of action to inform the Saviour of where he was going. 

"Hey, you." The believed stopped dead in their tracks, as if bound by a spell before turning around.

"Mr Ray." They bowed respectfully as they waited for him to speak.

"Inform the Saviour that I shall be out for a while." Nodding, they sped off to do as asked of them, almost fearful about what would happen if they failed to do so.

And so he continued walking, his legs leading him outside of the Magenta building and into the city nearby where the bustling sound of cars and trees filled every corner. 

It had been a while since he had last visited, almost a month had passed since he entered the ice cream store with the intention to buy the delicious cold treat that seemed to soothe his inner demons. 

The tail of his suit flapped slightly in the wind, a single petal of the blue rose on his chest floating away with the wind. 

He had drowned out every bit of unnecessary noise, not focusing on anyone other than himself and the cool breeze that fanned his face. 

Well, he was minding his own business until he heard a small, yet very clear 'daddy?'. The child, whomever had uttered it, sounded to be lost and in need; and despite him being hardwired to not care about others, he couldn't help but look around to find the source of the distressed cry.

For whatever reason that he couldn't quite name, it made his heart constrict painfully to hear such soft and innocent cries. 

"D-daddy, where are you?" Tracking down the quiet pleas to a desolate alleyway hidden from view, he spotted a child no older than 4 years old wondering around.

Their hair was messy, dirt streaked across their quickly browning clothes like they had been in a struggle before arriving in such a disoriented manner. 

"Papa?" Their voice shook as their knees barely held their frail figure up. Stick thin was the only way he could describe the poor kid, their cheeks hollowed in and arms and legs almost grotesquely twig-like.

Something must have possessed him momentarily, as before he could sat anything, he had taken steps towards the confused being. 

His shadow looked over them, alerting them of his presence as they looked up at him with big yet tired eyes. 

"Daddy?" They whispered, backing away with shaking limbs as they realised that the man in front of them, was in fact, not their father.

But before they could bolt off in a crazed terror, he stopped them without any use of physical force. Instead, the honey tone of his lovely voice made them pause, their tears remaining firmly lodged on their waterline.

"Don't worry," kneeling down, he tilted his head downwards so that he was eye level with the child, "I won't hurt you. I promise." 

Instantly, the fear seemed to dissipate from their eyes, instead replaced quickly with wonder and curiosity.

It was a hugely fatal flaw in kids, they trusted people too easily once they showed even the slightest inkling of kindness. It made it all the easier for people with malicious intentions to come and gather them up.

"What's your name?" Gaze averting downwards, they stammered out a small enunciation of their name. 

"(y-y/n)." Slim fingers gently tilted their head upwards, mint hues connecting with bright iris' that gleaned with untained innocence. 

"Well, (y/n). What are you doing here? Surely this is no place for little people like you." Their chest puffed with pride at being referred to as a 'little person', before that pride deflated once the situation they were in sunk back in.

"I woke up t-there." They pointed to a small cardboard box with what seemed to be the most pathetic excuse of a blanket ever created, inside.

"Daddy said he was getting ice cream, but h-he wasn't there. And I don't know where he is!" Tears began to swell up behind their eyes, threatening to cascade down their grime covered cheeks with every suspenseful blink.

A scowl covered his lips. How dare that _scum_ of a parent leave such a sweet and innocent child out in the open? Whoever that bastard of a man was, they didn't deserve to breathe even a single breath more.

However, his scowl quickly replaced itself with a small simper meant to comfort. 

Reaching out with a half gloved hand, he held his palm out in front of them and spoke, "would you like me to help you look for him?" 

An expression of pure surprise encased their features, their stare fixated sternly on his hand.

"Really?" 

Chuckling slightly, he nodded with a slight bounce of his beautiful white curls.

"Really." He confirmed as they placed their own incredibly tiny hand in his with a huge grin plastered on their childish visage.

"Thank you, Mr…" Trailing off, they looked upwards at him expectedly.

However, instead of his normal response of 'Ray', he felt as though they deserved more truth than that. He couldn't have forced himself to lie while looking at those carefree hues.

"Sae. You can call me Sae." 

"Thank you Mr Sae!" Finding himself enamoured with the positive attitude of the child holding tightly onto his fingers, the next hour spent searching just seemed to fly by without any interruption.

He had known that the chances of finding the man were slim to none, but he didn't wish to shatter the optimisim of the youth near him. The hour was spent in a fruitless attempt of hide and seek, with the hider being much too good at his occupation. 

"I can't see him." Bottom lip jutting out into a pout, they looked close to bursting into heartbroken tears, barely keeping it together with almost inaudible sniffles.

"Don't cry." Sinking back down to their height, his gloved thumb gently wiped away the stray tear that slid down their cheek.

"B-but I can't find Daddy!" Almost endless streams of tears glided down their face, dripping off their chin as their shoulders heaved from the intense emotions their small body felt.

Thinking quickly, he knew that he could not, under any circumstance, leave them to die or be abused on the streets. There was only one option that he could clearly think of.

"Why don't you come with me? You can have ice cream there and whatever else you want." Wiping away the salty residue with their sleeve, they looked at him with hope.

"I can go with you? I can do that?" He nodded.

He was almost thrown backwards with the sudden amount of force exerted on him. He had no idea that such a frail looking child could possess so much strength. 

Their arms could barely reach around his waist, their face buried into the front of his suit as they murmured a rapid succession of 'thank you's'. The warmth felt radiating from them... Strangely good; almost as though it was sinking straight into his bones and giving him strength.

"You're welcome." Fingers threaded through their ruffled locks, a serene smile on his lips as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to experience the feeling of true gratitude.

'I just hope the Saviour will take a liking to you.'

 

And she did. 

The Saviour had taken to the child like they were her own kin, showering them with affection and care that they had never received before. 

During the first few weeks, they had acquired the title of 'The Angel of Magenta' due to their ever bright nature. Not once since they had been brought back to Mint Eye, had they cried or said a single word of negative impact.

When they had first entered the building, they were almost ignored instantly. Everyone else had minded their own business, only sending sweeping glances to the child here and there as they floated past. Once they were cleaned up however, (the task handed to one of the believers for he had to gather some clothing), they were on the receiving end of considerably more attention.

Their clothes were pure white mixed with some navy blue, a blue rose brooch pinned to their collar as he had neatly brushed their hair. He always had a talent for such things after all.

Almost like magic, within a few seconds of making them look presentable, the Saviour had knocked on his door and walked in to see an adorable young child being groomed.

Thankfully, she had warmed up to the child very quickly, and he could only be thankful to the fact that they were so charismatic. Only truly soulless people could have possessed the will to ignore them.

Despite this rise in affection and the acclaimed title belonging to them, they never seemed to leave his side.

Not even now, when he and the Saviour were discussing absent minded topics. Unlike any other kid their age, they weren't running around and causing mayhem. Instead, they stayed right by his side with small hands clutching his suit.

Perhaps it was the fact that they felt indebted to him, or that they were eternally grateful for being rescued from an otherwise unavoidable fate.

"They seem to depend on you, Ray. They aren't causing you any trouble, are they?" The question wasn't at all hostile, but he felt them shuffle closer towards his body ever so slightly.

"No my Saviour, they don't. In fact, I forget that they're there sometimes." It was true, they were so quiet and obedient. The only noise that they occasionally made was the scratch of own against paper as they practised their studies.

His hand found it's way to the top of their head, ruffling the soft locks under his palm.

The blonde sent a caring look towards the child clinging to the hacker's leg. Admittedly, she was almost jealous of the bond they had. But that unpleasant feeling was soon dismissed as it conflicted with her morals. Jealously was of no use in Mint Eye after all.

A slight tugging alerted him to their needs as they shuffled on their feet.

"Brother, I need to use the bathroom." He nodded, calling over a believer to guide them towards the room that they needed to relieve themselves in.

His gaze followed them subconsciously as they left the room, only leaving their figure as his name was called by the woman that saved him.

"Do you care for the child, Ray? Do they make you happy?" Without an ounce of hesitation, he nodded.

"Yes. They do." She knew. She knew that he cared for the child in ways she hadn't perceived possible for the former redhead.

"Why?" It was a simple question, but it made him think. Why exactly **did** he like this child so much?

"I-I'm not too sure why, but I see myself in them. I don't want them to go through what I did. I want to protect them from the pain of the horrible world we live in. They shouldn't experience the dispair I felt." She hummed, satisfied with his answer.

"They are a reflection of yourself. They look up to you and you should take advantage of that, Ray." She spotted them running back, to his side no less. 

And she was right, they had stopped beside him and reached up to grab his hand, a satisfied grin on their slightly chapped lips.

"How are you, my darling?" They seemed taken aback by her sudden addressing.

"I'm o-okay, thank you." Standing bad to her full height with a shake of her head, she watched as the pair retreated back out of the room. They looked up at him with such trust and compassion that it made the cold hands of envy grab at her heart, crushing it under the weight of her sins and darkness.

All she could hope for at this point, was both of their happiness.


	8. Brother Sae~ 2 || Saeran x Child GN Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part contains spoilers for the secret ending.

"Brother!" Their calls reverberated around the stone walls of his room, echoing and reaching his ears long before he saw their face.

"Brother Sae!" Bounding into the room, he couldn't help but allow a small smile to cross his lips as the sight of the now six year old running towards him.

Moonlight filtered through the small window near his bed, the stars twinkling brightly overhead and serving as a reminder to how fast time had passed. Normally, they would have visited sooner, but the Saviour had requested their presence for most of the day.

"How are you?" They questioned, closing up the curtains and sitting beside him in their designated spinny chair. 

"I'm… Okay." Frowning at the slight pause in his words, they shook their head and spun slightly on their seat to face the hacker. 

Small dainty fingers reached forwards, taking the book they were halfway through reading and opening it up with the light of the screens to help them read.

Even if there was no active conversation happening between the two, he couldn't help but feel significantly more at ease. His days were spent stuck in front of multiple monitors, just regularly checking the messenger and gathering information, so their presence was a welcomed breath of fresh air.

Whenever he could see that cheeky front tooth missing grin, a warm feeling bubbled up from the centre of his chest, consuming him and leaving him with a floating feeling. 

"Have you eaten?" He questioned, pausing on his typing onslaught to gaze at the little person that had been reading quietly 

Instead of answering the question, they have him a pointed look.

"Have _you_ eaten?" They could head down to the kitchen whenever they were feeling just the slightest bit peckish and they would be showered in all kinds of treats, but he was another matter. 

His silence was the answer. 

Reaching behind them, they pulled out a chocolate bar that they had stored in case of something like this, snapping it in half with their tiny hands. (It wasn't exactly half, but they didn't care.)

"I don't want you to get ill. Because then you have to eat that yucky medicine." He couldn't surpress the soft chuckle that surfaced at their sour expression, he could remember that very clearly. It was the only time they had refused to comply, screaming about how the medicine tasted like "spoilt poop!" How they had come up with such a description, he did not know.

Handing him the bigger half, he smiled with gratitude at the youngster. It was like having his own little nurse, they cared for him more than he cared for himself.

The comforting quiet was filled by the occasional rustling of the chocolate bar wrapper, his eyes glued to the strings of glowing code on his screens; so much so, that he barely noticed them falling asleep on the desk until many hours later. 

Quiet puffs of breaths passed their lips as they lay with their head resting on their arms, body twitching ever so slightly here and there from the uncomfortable position. 

Sneaking a glance at them, he decided that it was time to also go to sleep - the decision partly influenced by the sight of them sleeping peacefully, their small figure unconsciously moving closer to him in hopes of gaining warmth.

Eyes heavy and breathing laboured, he slid his arms under them as gently as he could and lifted them up, head lolling before resting on his shoulder with a content sigh.

He had wondered why the Saviour hadn't called for them to be returned to their room, but his unwavering loyalty caused the question to dissipate into thin air. Although the Saviour had seemed alot more absent minded than usual, he hoped that she wasn't too stressed.

The trek back to their room was something he felt he couldn't physically do. Instead, deciding to place them gently onto his own bed, his own person following soon after.

Instantly, they gravitated towards him and snuggled into his chest, letting out a satisfied hum from the warmth that seeped into their body. His own arms wrapped themselves around the tiny figure, chin placed atop of their head as sleep washed over him quickly.

 

Light filtered through their eyelids, the white rays of the sun burning through the curtains that were still drawn. Sitting up with a tired yawn, they realised that they weren't in their own room; in fact, they seemed to be in Sae's room.

The spot beside them still had a small imprint on the sheets, too big to belong to them. However, the mattress where the dent lay was cold to the touch, indicating that he had left a while ago.

Slinging a leg off the bed, they climbed off and began to walk towards the unlocked door.

"Brother?" The corridors were empty.

Suspiciously empty.

With narrowed eyes, they walked slowly down the corridor with no shoes, the cool floor chilling the soles of their bare feet. 

Everything seemed so devoid of life, normally there would at least be a believer or two around the corner admiring the paintings and pictures adorning the walls. 

But there was not even that.

"Brother Sae?" Only their voice echoed back to them as a response. Goosebumps were beginning to rise on their skin from the slowly developing terror they felt.

"Is a-anyone here? Hello?" Still no one said a single word back.

'Maybe they're all in assembly?' That seemed to be the most feasible reason at the moment, and it would be the theory that explained the most. Although, it was weird how Sae hadn't woken them up for the assembly.

With a shrug of their petite shoulders, they made their way towards the huge assembly hall reserved for such splendid occasions.

No one was there to interrupt them in their journey, so they were quick in making it to the hall. 

Muffled voices rang out from within, voices that they recognised as The Saviour's and a few of the believers. Pushing open the door slowly, the sight of what was happening inside made them stand stock still and gasp.

Inside were three people he didn't recognise. But there may as well have been four. Their beloved brother looked so different from what they had known him as, his wild pin point pupils darting around the scene as his pale hands tightly clutched his messy bleached locks in a death grip.

The wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was the shaking hand that lifted up a gun, aimed straight at a man with beautiful blue hair.

"Y-you can't do this! You promised you would let me kill him!" His heartbroken screams made their breath hitch, tiny legs taking baby steps into the room.

"He will be a valuable asset." 

" _ **No!**_ " 

"Go and get Saeran. He's unstable and must drink the elixir." Swarms of robed minions began to walk towards him like brain dead zombies. Not that that was far from the truth.

Unable to stay put any longer, they ran inside and towards him with a loud yell of 'brother!'

Big mistake.

Perhaps it was the adrenaline that ran through their system that stopped them from feeling any pain as the force of the bullet forced them backwards. Or maybe it was the fact that the loud 'BANG' still rang deafeningly in their ears that made the ruby red substance dripping from their wound seem insignificant.

Their hands were stained in the dark crimson, barely able to hear the scream of their name as the world around them began to mute itself of both colours and sounds. 

"B-brother! S-sae!" Agony pulsed through their being as the lack of oxygen shocked their brain back into working, their body crumpling under it's own pressure as they very faintly registered the sensation of weightlessness.

"It hurts!" The bitter air of the room made the injury sting, baiting away more of their breath as spots of black began to take over their vision.

"(Y/N)!" Through the tears of pain that obscured their vision, they could only just see their beloved older brother being held back forcefully by a long haired brunette, before slumping to the ground in an unconscious heap.

"B-brother…" The body of a six year old was not designed to bare such a colossal amount of pain within their being, their energy draining with every passing second.

"P-please." That was the last weak murmur that left their lips that day.


	9. Brother Sae~ 3 || Saeran x Child GN Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of hospitalisation.

Dull beeping was all they could hear, the sound drilling deep into their mind and forcing a whimper out from their hoarse throat. The light burned their eyes as they forced their lids to crack open the tiniest amount. 

Even the slightest movement they made felt like a thousand needles pricking away at their skin, burning them from the inside out.

"Ow." The soft hiss was barely a whisper as they sat up ever so slowly, only to be gently pushed back down by their shoulders.

"Don't strain yourself." That voice was unfamiliar. 

Blinking away the haziness from their vision, their iris' focused messily on the figure sat on the chair just a few inches away from the bed.

"B-brother?" The man looked a lot like their beloved Sae, the resemblance uncanny. Yet there was some differences, for example his hair was an incredibly vibrant red that ensnared the attention of anyone that looked his way. On the bridge of his nose lay some oddly patterned glasses that just... Suited him. And last but not least, his eyes shone a bright amber that hid everything apart from the deep sorrow that was mirrored in their own gaze.

He smiled gently, the simper almost missable as he glanced down at the bedridden child.

"No, I'm not Saeran." Saeran? That must have been his full name. It was a beautiful name too, in their opinion. 

"You look like him, you could be twins!" The enthusiasm in their croaky voice couldn't have been masked, as though they had uncovered the secret of the century. And if anyone was being honest, it really was.

"Really?" He questioned, shuffling closer, his jacket fluttering from the rush of air caused by his movements.

"How are you feeling?" Quietly, the question was asked, letting them answer at their own pace without any impending sense of pressure. 

"M-my chest hurts." They answered truthfully, their chest had been making it difficult to breathe, and they suspected that it had something to do with the bandages wrapped tightly around their midriff.

"You shouldn't have gotten hurt." True regret shone brightly in his eyes, unhidden by the unfathomable mix of undigested emotions that churned in the male's stomach.

"It's okay." With a light cough, they downed the cup of water at the bedside table and sat quietly for a few seconds to allow for their throat to be less dry.

"W-where is Brother? I want to see him." He could feel his heart break at the innocence that glared back at him from their hues, his presence was just staining their purity; purity that he wished would never leave them despite that being the inevitable.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. He's… Not here at the moment." Attempting to smile, it only made them frown, small tears forming in the corners of their eyes as they sniffled.

"I-I want to see Brother Sae." They never asked for anything, so why was it when they had such a small and simple request, it couldn't be fulfilled? Were they a bad child? Did they have to do more to earn their keep?

"P-please, I promise I-i'll be good! I want to s-see him, please..." Despite their best efforts at being silent and unheard, their choked sniffles reached his ears as they rubbed away at the salty residue that threatened to stain their cheeks 

"Don't cry. You can see him, just not right now. I promise you'll see him later. We can bring him some candy, how about that?" He wasn't good at all with kids, let alone kids that were crying over something currently unobtainable.

"W-who are you?" It was about time that question was asked, their tears wiped away with the use of the coarse material of the sleeve they wore.

"I'm Lu-Saeyoung. Saeran's brother." Nodding, they continued to furiously wipe away at their tears in the hopes of composing themselves. They didn't want a punishment, otherwise their brother would be disappointed in them. And they never wanted that.

"O-oh. Y-you look the same. Just a little bit different." He chuckled, the noise warming their insides as they were reminded of the delightful tinkling laugh of their role model.

"I should hope so!" The chair scraped loudly, causing them to both cringe as he moved closer to the bed.

"What's your name?" Saeyoung had no idea that a child had been roped into the hell called Mint Eye. The cruelty and delusions knew no bounds, apparently. However, they didn't seem to be too badly affected, in fact the only heightened 'bad habit' they seemed to have was the attachment they had to his sibling.

Migrating from his chair, he waited patiently for their answer.

"I'm (y/n)!" Despite their severe injuries, they were still so chipper, their hope and charisma not the slightest bit dampened by having such a horrible wound.

"Well, (y/n), could you answer me just one question?" 

"Okay!"

"Are you," he paused, debating whether or not he should continue with the question that was burning away his braincells, "are you really our sibling?" 

Instantly, they shook their head 'no.' They were not in any way blood related. 

Small fingers spotted into each other as they fiddled with their thumbs and avoided looking upwards into the eyes of their senior.

"N-no. But he's like my big brother! He let me stay with him when we couldn't find daddy!" He felt his breath leave him in one fell swoop. This child had been abandoned? And Saeran had taken them in? To him, it all seemed too absurd to be true, yet there was no reason for the slightly awkward human being to be saying something foul and deceitful.

"Excuse me, M-mr Saeyoung?" Humming questioningly, he waited for them to ask their question.

"May I call you Brother Saeold?" That was a rather random request.

"Why?"

"B-because you're old now, not young!" The joke took him a few seconds to understand, his brain not expecting the suddenly switch in languages. But once it had registered, he found it pretty amusing.

"Sure you can!" Gently ruffling their hair, their smile reminded him of something he still needed to do.

Reaching into his pocket, a small printed picture poked the tender flesh of his hands, the sharp edges digging into his fingers as he looked over the image quickly.

"This is yours." The look of astonishment on their face made his heart hurt, the unadultered love in their hues as they looked down at the image was unmistakable.

The image, despite being very faded in colour, was a still image of both them and Saeran together surrounding in a garden of lush and blossoming flowers that seemed to twist and turn at every interval, forming a beautiful mass of nature as a backdrop. Saeran's face held me small, yet sincere smile as his gaze was on the growing child in his arms - on their own visage an adorable expression that had their tounge lolling out of their mouth.

"T-thank you, Brother Saeyoung." A spark of joy ignited in his being as he realised just why they were in that building. It hadn't just been because Rika had twisted ideals that involved them, but because they healed and nurtured the all devouring darkness within them. He had no doubt that if they had not been in Saeran's life at all, he would have been much worse in his current state.

Glancing up at the clock, he stood up with a gasp as he realised how late it had become.

"I have to leave. Don't do anything silly, okay?"

"Okay! Please tell Brother I said hi and that I want to see him." Dipping his head in agreement, he gave them a quick, feather light hug and left the room, his thoughts swimming around and sinking any hopes of being productive. 

After meeting the person who's name Saeran had been chanting, he had to say that he was enlightened, if not surprised. He would have never have expected such a drastic turn of events. 

Everything was so surreal, he couldn't believe that Rika had began a cult, hurt innocent people and abused many others. 

But above all, he couldn't believe how much of an impact just one little person could make on an incredibly complex person such as Saeran. The poor boy had spent most of the time that he was awake just crying their name, begging for them to be beside him, to reassure him that everything was okay. that everything was normal.

Such an influence couldn't just be tossed aside, and Saeyoung knew that he would have to do something to preserve that delicate bond. 

 

Six months had passed since that day, six very long and agonising months that consisted of heartbreak, tragedy, trauma and forgiveness. 

Saeran had yet to be discharged from the hospital, his release date in a week. And to be perfectly honest, he didn't know whether he was relieved or terrified.

The therapy he attended during his stay did help, especially when they were there to accompany him, but there was still that one nagging voice in the back of his head that told him not to believe anything; to know that he wasn't worth a single penny without a computer at his disposal.

It was a struggle he faced everyday, only made bearable by the daily visits he would receive.

Now was the time for such a visit.

"Brother!" The delighted greeting made his heart stutter, his ears perking up as he heard the loving tone in which they spoke his title.

"How are you?" They bounded into the room, a wide smile on their face as they laid eyes on the bed bound boy. Seating themselves on the side of the bed, their legs swung off the sides as Saeyoung sat on the chair just a few metres away.

"I'm… Okay." The twinge of nostalgia hit them both, but no comment or remark was made.

"Yay! That's good." They could hardly keep still, their body buzzing from excitement. Their favourite part of the day was coming to see him after all.

"Me and Brother Saeold got you some things!" Sliding the white plastic bag off their wrist, the plastic crinkled as they situated it on his lap enthusiastucally. Just by the faint silhouettes he could see through the thin white washed material, he knew they were packets upon packets of his favourite sweets.

"Thank you." Even though he had been looking directly into their hues, Saeyoung knew that the gratitude was also partially aimed towards him.

'You're welcome." Moving a little on the mattress, their body almost slid off the bed from the friction against them, only being caught by an arm taking hold of their hand.

"I can't wait till you come home! There's a really big ice cream parlour and sweet shop. And the park is so much fun!" Their enthusiasm was infectious, his own slightly chapped maws curling upwards lightly into a smile.

 

From what Saeran knew during his occasional one on one talks with his brother, Saeyoung had officially adopted them and made them part of the household. All for him.

But the happiness that radiated from them quickly vanished, their aura turning slightly gloomy and down fallen as they leaned into his side, their little fingers grabbing onto the fabric of his shirt.

"I miss you. I really wish you were home too. I miss you so much, Sae." Hands curled tightly into fists, his eyes closing as he relished in the feeling of being wanted, of being needed and complete.

"I want to show you the pretty flowers and eat ice cream with you. Please, come home soon." All he could do was swallow thickly, his eyes refusing to open for he knew that they would burn.

"I love you, Brother Sae. I want you to be happy." That was it.

He couldn't have forced himself to keep back the tears that streamed down his cheeks and out from under his lids, no matter how hard he tried. Soft and child-like hiccups escaped his cheeks as he smiled a hauntingly beautiful smile, his own slender arms pulling them into his chest for reassurance.

"I love you so much." Their muffled whisper sent sparks through his chest, igniting it with a feeling that seemed to suffocate all his doubts and smother all his worries until there was nothing left but pure and genuine glee.

Wet droplets fell into their hair as he held them tightly, their heartbeat mirroring his own erratic pulse as he lost himself.

He was going to get better, and he could do it with them stuck firmly at his side.


	10. Masks~ || ??? x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The character will remain hidden until the end.

'Why does school have to be so soul sucking?' That single question had been on repeat in her mind for the past 3 hours and a half that she had lived through. Her stomach growled and her mind begged for some long deserved sleep.

The lesson was currently science, talking about human psychology and why human's responded to certain things in certain ways. It would have intrigued her had she gained more than an hours worth of sleep.

With a barely covered yawn, she gazed tiredly at the board and the teacher, who's words seemed to drown out as she flicked the edge of the table.

Shuffling was heard and people began to stand up, confusing her. It wasn't time to pack up, so why were people moving around? 

Not until she witnessed someone moving seats, did she realise that the teacher had instructed them to find a partner, stating that if they didn't do so quickly, they would be picked.

Not wanting to be the cause of everyone having to be partnered with an unpreferred person, she stood up with her bag hanging off her shoulder and looked around.

Everyone had already found who they wanted to work with, and it wasn't like she had anyone she was dying to work with. All her friends had been put in different classes, leaving her by herself. Sure, she got along with basically everybody in the classroom, but they weren't anything more than just people she occasionally gossiped with.

The countdown from the teacher made her sweat, the pressure was on to find a partner.

Scanning around the room, she finally spotted someone alone in the back. No one seemed to be going towards them either, so thinking quickly, she rushed towards them and sat at their side.

The countdown ended and thankfully everyone had found someone to work with, saving everyone from the extra hassle of not liking their chosen partner.

Chatter began again, noise that she blanked out in order to face the person she was sat beside.

"Sorry for running here, I had no one to work with. I hope you don't mind me as your partner." They only shrugged, the mask on their face shifting just a slight millimetre upwards from the gesture.

Taking that as approval, her head proceeded to lay on her palm. 

The person beside her was the boy known simple as 'Hidden'. 'Hid' for short. No one was aware of his real name, even on the register it was shown as 'Hidden.' It was a bit absurd if you asked her, but it was his choice. 

He was the one boy who sat quietly at the back, never once uttering a single word and just generally keeping himself to himself. The mask covering his entire head, except for his eyes was a testament to that. 

Contrary to popular belief, no one really bullied him for his choices, mostly just deciding to whisper about him until something else grabbed their attention. 

He was just that silent person who was never consciously noticed - something she found odd yet incredible interesting.

"Do you know what to do?" He didn't make a single move, making her think that she was being ignored until he began to write something down.

'We have to do a project on human psychology. Worth 50% of our final score.' Her eyes nearly burst out of her head. This was worth 50% of her final grade? 

Rubbing her eyes, she sat up straight and forced herself to read the thick book infront of them, absorbing all the information presented to her.

"When is it due?" Someone asked, and internally she thanked them.

"It's due in a month. I won't be allowing any extra time, the state it's in when you hand it in, is the state you'll receive a mark for." A month was plenty of time, and god knew she needed to get good grade.

The remaining majority of the lesson was spent with them both planning out what they were going to do. With her doing all of the talking and him writing some responses here and there. Unlike the rest of her classmates, he wasn't headache inducing with loud yells and yodeling which she was thankful for.

Packing away her things, she grinned brightly at the silent male.

"Would you like to come over to my house? To work on the project?" Before he could scribble down a response the bell had gone, and with her racing out the door within a second of it going off.

 

'Ah shit, I'm so fucking stupid.' In her run to get out the door and to the lunch line, she had forgotten to wait for his response to her question. 

'I guess I'll just have to find him and ask him later.' With that task set in her mind, she paid quickly for her food and stuffed it into her pocket. She would have to find her friends to tell them that she wouldn't be able to spend lunch with them, they were all a bunch of worry warts after all.

After a while of searching and a quick conversation between her mates, she had finally found him tucked away in the corner outside. 

The shrubbery surrounding him made it seem like a tiny wonderland, the leaves falling off the trees in bright vibrant colours that matched the flames decorating his mask.

Twigs lay disguarded at his feet as she walked over, the soft crunching alerting him to her presence.

"Hey, I ran off before getting that answer from you." With a sheepish smile, she sat down beside him.

'When would you like me to go over?'

Thinking for a few seconds, she replied.

"Whenever you're free. I live a bit far from here so you might have to catch a bus. Here's my address." Taking his oddly cold hand into her own, she placed the small slip of paper into his palm and closed it back up again in gentle motions.

However, instead of getting up and walking away like he had expected her to do, she remained seated, a serene smile dancing upon her lips.

'Why is she still here?' It wasn't that he disliked her, he just found it odd how she hadn't left. Everyone else always wondered off once they had gotten what they needed, he was that one weird kid that no one associated with after all.

"Aren't you hungry? You don't have any food with you." Now that she had mentioned it, he did feel slight pangs of hunger gnawing at him.

He shook his head no, he did not have any food.

"Oh, well you can have half of my chocolate. My dentist did say I needed to cut down on sugar after all." Before he could refuse, a chocolate bar was shoved into his hands, along with a beaming smile that he couldn't deny.

'…Thank you.'

"You're welcome. Everyone loves a bit of sugar once in a while." Her radiating kindness was strange, and he was the one wearing a mask!

A silence fell, but it wasn't unpleasant. He found that he actually enjoyed the company, it made a nice change from being alone all the time, like less of a lost soul.

Glancing at her through the holes in his mask, he decided that she wasn't so bad.

 

Six months had passed since the project had been assigned and finished, and almost every day since then he had been over at her house without any reason.

The main reason for that seemed to be that she had found him to be very weird, but that only added to his obscure charm. The fact that he never once lifted his mask, nor spoke was something she had grown to find cute. 

Sometimes she caught herself staring hard at the beautifully designed mask, wondering how on earth he had gotten his hands on something with such gorgeous craftsmanship. The swirling flames decorating the edges, with intricate black patterns filling the space in the middle.

Like every other human being however, she did wonder why he wore such a thing. Theories had been made up over time, equally by both her and her friends, but over time she just let it go. Why should she care what he did with his body?

And maybe she excused it a little more because of the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach with every passing second she was around him. But that was probably indigestion.

"What else is left, just some pictures right?" He nodded, not even a squeak needed to communicate. 

"You can draw much better than me, so you can do that." With a soft chuckle, she picked up her phone and sat in front of him with crossed legs.

Minutes passed with no words, nothing out of the norm. 

Well, aside from the delighted glint in her eyes that he had grown to be slightly apprehensive of. 

Despite being one of the slightly more popular pupils of the school, she had been hanging near and around him for the past few weeks. But never once had she questioned him on his mask or his lack of speech. He couldn't tell whether he was thankful or concerned.

"Look! The school's planning the play. Ya know, the big one they do every two years? I can't act to save my life but the people in there are awesome!" Her enthusiasm made him look up, his attention fixated on the brightly coloured poster displayed on her screen.

'That's nice.' Frowning at his lackluster response, she shoved him gently and tutted.

"A little more enthusiasm Hid, the acting is great. Maybe you could try out." She could feel his stare burning holes into her body, but she didn't give up. Something told her that he would make a great actor.

"Don't stare at me like that. You may not talk, like at all. But you could still try out. I'm sure there's a tree or something you could play." Sensing his glare, she fell into peals of laughter, the sound tinkling in the air.

Unable to stay irritated for too long, he began to draw once again, the lines flowing over the paper like magic.

"Whoa. You're so cool! Much cooler than me, Hid. Maybe one day it'll rub off on me." She certainly was eccentric, but he couldn't say that was a bad thing. Not many 'normal' people would have given him a chance, to look behind the cover and muteness and talk to him, to go out of their way to make him feel included and human. For that he was grateful.

The next day, they were at school, his hand grabbed as he was being dragged over to the school hall to watch the auditions. 

"I won't let you be a mardy get and ruin this!" Over the night he had thought about what she had said about auditioning, and even if she had meant it satirically, he couldn't help but think that he might go for it.

Sure he wasn't the ideal candidate, but he had always been more attracted to the theatrical arts than anything that involved studying or math.

Sitting down beside her almost buzzing form, he watched the auditions with a calculating stare that even she seemed to notice. 

'I could do that.' Confidence began to brim within him, and he knew that as soon as she had gone home for the day, he was going to plan something for the girl that refused to leave him.

 

"Hey Hid!" She grinned brightly, bouncing towards him with extra food in her arms.

Nodding in acknowledgment, he was glad she was unable to see his face. Otherwise she would have seen the unsettled look he had, his stomach churning horribly. Be it nerves or something else, he did not know.

"The play is on today! Are you going to see it? Because I am." Her enthusiasm was infectious, and he could feel himself lighten slightly at the excitement she radiated. 

He nodded once again.

"I have no idea what the story is. But apparently it's a really cool story about someone loving someone despite their looks. Nice message if you ask me." Nudging him with her shoulder, she giggled when he stiffened up. 

"I'm joking. Anyone would love you despite how you looked. I mean, you're a really nice guy, so never worry about that, okay?" Oh god was he falling hard for her.

He would just have to wait until the play to find out whether or not that earlier statement was true. 

 

She had been sitting in the darkened room for over half an hour, waiting patiently for her best friend to show up. 

The show had already began and yet he still hadn't appeared. 

Her other friends didn't show up either, deeming the school play 'boring' and a 'waste of time', which was disheartening but that wouldn't change her attitude.

After being sat there for over an hour by herself, she accepted the fact that he wouldn't appear with a crestfallen heart. Instead of focusing on the betrayal, she focused on the fantastic acting instead.

The main lead, a male from the year above her named Seo, was doing amazing at his role. All his words were heartfelt and pure, his face concealed behind a mask that reminded her strongly of Hid.

The story reminded her much of herself and him, almost as if they were a detailed recount of everything that had happened between the two. She was unable to keep her eyes away, ensnared by every word the actors spoke. You would have thought they were professionald from the confidence they exuded.

Suddenly however, someone began to pull her up. 

"Excuse me but you have to come backstage with me. We need you." 

"But I-" Unable to splutter out any denials, she was dragged around the edge of the venue and into the backstage, where people were frantically trying on different outfits and having their makeup done.

Power hit her face, leaving her coughing as she was forced into a chair, people messing around with her attire.

"Hey, what are you doi-" Once again she was frantically cut off by someone screaming for her to get up, and she did with genuine fear over getting hit upside the head with the clipboard.

"Go on the stage and look pretty."

"I'm not part of the play! What's going on?!" Demanding an explanation was useless as she was shoved onto the stage, the bright lights hitting her face as panic over took her entire being.

'Oh fuck. Fuck fuck, oh god. Alright, you can do this. Just look pretty.' With a deep intake of breath, she smiled and walked to the end of the stage, her head held high with a sense of regality that no one could deny.

Someone else walked on stage and she swore her heart stopped.

It was Hid, his signature mask and all. But instead of his normal casual clothes, he was wearing the same outfit that Seo had been wearing. 

A million questions ran through her head, and none of them received any answers.

He walked closer, the distance between the two diminishing, and along with it her heart beat increased. Soon enough, there was just a foot of space in between, the entire venue silent with anticipation.

He stopped with just a few feet of space between the two.

It was almost in slow motion that his hand slowly lifted towards his face, fingers grasping the edges of his mask as he pulled it up to slowly reveal himself. Her lips parted into an 'o', heart rate rising to dangerous levels as her palms began to sweat. 

Was he really going to show his face?

Her question was answered as the plastic cover was removed, collective gasps throughout the room mirroring her own as it clattered to the ground.

He was _**gorgeous**_.

His absolutely stunning crimson hues stared straight into her own, searching for anything to grasp onto, supple pink lips pressed into a straight line as he took a simple step forwards. 

"Oh my god…" Her soft whisper was only heard by the pair, her eyes scanning his complexion for literally the first time. 

His perfectly defined features made her breath hitch, the soft locks of silver draped around his face made him look like a god, and her the humble follower.

"Hid…" The entire room was quiet, her words barely a whisper yet heard by everyone.

"Hyun. My name is Hyun." She could have fainted, and all this time she believed he was mute. How stupid her and everyone else had been.

"I decided to listen to you. To audition, and instead of a tree, I landed the main role." A smile managed to weasel it's way onto her lips despite the pure shock over running her body.

"I always wore a mask because I wanted to find someone who would take the time to know me without any influence from my looks of voice. And after so many years, you were the one who did that." His words were honey, dripping like from his absolutely delectable voice.

"Six months ago you partnered up with me. And three months ago I realised that I had fallen in love with you. With the girl who saw past the weird mute boy and to the true person lying underneath the mask. And for that, I thank you." She was at a complete loss for words and he seemed to appreciate that, his trademark cold hands grasping one of her own like a lifeline.

"So I wondered on how to confess, and what better way to do it by play where the whole concept was falling in love with someone despite their looks?" 

"What I'm asking is…" a pause.

"Will you, (y/n) (l/n), be my girlfriend?" No one spoke a word, waiting for her answer.

Her eyes glimmered under the spotlight but they were cast downwards as she bit her bottom lip, thinking on her response.

But to him it just have seemed like rejection, for his hands began to leave her own with a pained expression.

"Yes." He stilled.

"Wha-"

"Yes! Of course I'll be your girlfriend!" Cheers rang out, deafeninly loud as he scooped her up into his arms, a huge relieved grin on his face as he twirled her around.

"Thank you!"

"No, thank you for trusting me." Another breath taking closed eye smile sealed his fate, his heart fit to burst as she pecked his nose.

He truly had found the one who loved him for him.


	11. Jailtime~ || V x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapters contains slight mentions of drugging.

The soft rustling of the trees was the only sound he could hear. The quiet steps of his feet as he walked down the lonely path, only the occasional crunch here and there as he hit a particularly dried up leaf.

He had decided, after quite a lot of pondering, to come outside and take photographs of bits of nature he deemed worthy. With his quickly deteriorating eyesight, he wanted to make the most of what little he could see.

Normally he would have flown out to another country to encapsulate what they had to offer, but just this once he wanted to stay home.

With a small smile, he knelt down beside a small, nearly blossoming daffodil. The flower to him was incredibly beautiful, and he found himself remembering the meanings the flower had. 

'New beginnings.' 

A soft smile graced his lips as he snapped a picture. A new beginning was exactly what he had received, and all because of one female that refused to give up and was too headstrong fro her own good. 

Instead of tying him down like his previous partner, she had allowed him to do as he wished. Only asking for him to be careful in return. Sometimes he wondered why she had taken as much care as she did, but whenever the topic was brought up she would just grin and change the topic with only a glint of mirth in her mesmerising hues.

Taking a few more snaps, he brushed the invisible dirt off of his pristine jeans and stood up. Examining the pictures, he was quite pleased with the outcome. The lighting was exquisite and the flower looked like the embodiment of beauty.

"Maybe she would like to see them." The whisper was low, and his spirits were instantly lifted as he thought about receiving praise from her. 

Blinking, he let the camera drop and hit his chest lightly, the dull weight resting just on top of his heart as he began to walk back to his own flat.

The apartment where she had first appeared had been sold upon the insistence of almost everyone in the RFA, the memories associated with the area were too much and no one could bare to even remember it. Thankfully, she had her own place and wasn't inconvenienced at all by decision. In fact she was one of the main people who had urged him to do so. 

The further away everyone was from Rika, the safer and better they were. 

Sighing, he stepped foot into his apartment, just seconds later getting a frantic buzzing from his pocket.

"Who could that be?" Reaching into his back pocket as he shut the door softly with the heel of his foot, he glanced at the screen and squinted to make out the words.

"Luciel? Why would he be calling?" Answering the call, he was unable to even get in a hello before the hackers words sent cold shivers down his spine, his phone almost dropping from his hand in his terrified stupor.

"V! (y/n)'s been arrested."

 

She was busy fiddling with her nails, irritation clear in her pretty eyes as she glanced boredly up at the officers strolling past her.

This was so bothersome. But then again, trouble did have a way of catching up to her, despite how many times she wished that it wouldn't. She guessed that it was karma coming to bite her arse for all the times she'd wronged people. Even if she was friends with many angels, it didn't mean she was one in the slightest.

"Excuse me?" She spoke, a dead tone to her voice as the person who had put her in cuffs stopped.

"Yes?" 

"Is there any way I could be let out on bail?" There was no point in dancing around, and there was only a matter of time before a cell became available and they threw her in. 

"I'm pretty sure there is. But you do need to go through with the mugshots and such, which I'm assuming you've done?" Their right brow raised as they studied the apathetic woman.

"You've assumed right, Officer." 

"Let me check then. You will be arranging bail with your call if so." Nodding, she watched intently as they disappeared behind the desk, leaving her to slump into the hard plastic chair.

There was only one person she trusted to ask to bail her out, but she doubted she would dare ask him. He was barely managing as it was, he didn't need her stupidity on top of it all.

"You can arrange bail. You may use the phone on the wall." Her body moved animatedly towards the outdated looking phone hooked onto the wall, the thing still had a cord for gods sake!

Her hand extended towards the telephone, but she paused and froze as her name was in the gentle tone she'd come to admire.

"Jihyun?" The small mutter reached his ears and he rushed up to the female, his eyes obscured by his glasses but no doubt showing tons of concern. Concern she didn't deserve.

"What are you doing here?" Tilting her head, her hands were suddenly in his own soft ones as he looked down at her by not too much.

"I should be asking you that." All too aware of the strange look the officer was giving her and V, she slowly began to let go of his hand, just holding onto his index as she spoke.

"Yeah yeah. Why are you here? It's not like I called you to bring you here." His nose scrunched up as he bit the inside of his cheek, deciding whether to tell her how he'd found out she was here.

"Luciel told me you were here." She wasn't even surprised, that boy just loved to invade her privacy. Especially when she failed to reply within a stupid speed of 2 seconds.

"Wow, alright." His cyan hues then began to trail towards the phone behind her, and he started to connect the things together. Figuring out that she was just beginning to sort out her bail.

"Have you found anyone to get you out? If not, I would be more than happy to do so." The flash of disapproval on her face was enough, his secure and warm figure leaving her space, and instead heading towards the front counter.

The officer, who had been watching the entire thing with a slightly intrigued expression, had already began the process for her bail. Thankfully having the entire thing done within a matter of minutes.

Her hand was held carefully and she was helped out of the station, his protective grip not once wavering despite his disability.

"V? What are you doing? Would you like me to take you home?" He suddenly stopped, causing her to trip and land against his back.

"Shit, sorry." Sheepishly grinning at him, the smile fell as she realised he was frowning.

"What happened?" The question was in no way abrasive, but he knew that it would eat away at him if he didn't ask.

"I guess I do owe you an explanation. And don't worry. I'll pay you back." He honestly couldn't have cared less about the money, but as long as she was happy.

"Long story short. Someone didn't like the fact that I stopped their victim from being drugged and they started a fight with me," Her plush lips curled up into a smile, "one that I won, mind you." Resisting the urge to face palm, he shook his head.

"What am I going to do with you? You're much too brash." The fact that he wasn't too upset was assuring enough, yet she couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. 

"Perhaps you could demand I give you a ride home. That would be a punishment." 

"With your reckless driving, I am more certain that it'd be more of a punishment for me than you." Jokingly punching his arm, she pulled out her phone to begin to call a cab when it was snatched out of her grip.

"Hey! You giant, give me that back!" Pressing a finger to his lips, he slipped the device into his back pocket and instead lifted up his camera, taking a wonderful candid shot of the now flustered female.

"Oi! You know how much I hate it when you do that!" V played no heed to her whining, and instead made a mental note to print the oicture out when he had time.

"And that's something I don't understand. You never fail to look stunning." The smooth talker.

"Oh be quiet, egghead. Don't throw compliments like that. You know how it feeds my monster ego. Besides. the most beautiful one here is you. Sometimes I think you should be in front of the camera and not behind it." It wadnhis turn to be flustered, his cheeks gaining a pink hue that he knew Jumin would tease him for if he knew.

"Aww, Jihyun. You're so adorable. Give us a kiss will you?" Closing her eyes and pointing to her cheek, you could only imagine her surprise when she felt a soft yet pleasurable warmth against her slightly parted lips.

"Anything for you, my moon. Just next time try not to get in so much trouble."


	12. Two against one~ || Saeran x Fem reader x Saeyoung

“Hey guys.” She greeted happily, waltzing in with a cheery grin on her face. The security had recognised her so she didn’t need any further assistance in getting inside the bunker.

“Hello!~” The sing song voice of the redheaded hacker drawled, his form no where to be seen.

“Scaring me won’t work. Your face terrorised me so much that I’m immune.” A hurt gasp came from behind her, triggering her to turn round at breakneck speed to glance at Saeyoung.

“She’s not wrong. Not even a professional actor could scare anyone after living with you and your disgusting habits.” Saeran commented, suddenly appearing from thin air as he stood in the doorway, eyes glancing over the two in the room.

“You’re both so mean!” Saeyoung aimed his half-arsed glare behind her towards his twin.

“And you’re meant to be kinder to your brother.” He only scoffed, his mint eyes rolling as he walked into the living room.

“And you’re meant to be smart, and yet here we are.” Unable to hold in her giant smirk at the sassy retort, she decided to fake cough to smile into her hand; something Saeyoung didn’t fail to notice.

His honey hues gleamed as they landed on her, an almost feral look embedded into them as he neared.

“You’re laughing at me? That hurts so much.” She took a step towards Saeran, who ignored the pair in favour of the TV.

“I’m not laughing.” It was a weak attempt at a lie and everyone knew it.

“I don’t appreciate liars, (y/n).” Before she was even aware of what had transpired, she was suddenly sprawled on the floor, her hands just inches away from Saeran’s ankle as she scrambled to get up.

“Not so fast!” The hacker held tightly onto her foot and began to pull her towards him in similar fashion to a serial killer in a cliché horror film.

“Saeran! You dickhead, help me!” The mentioned only sent her a bored look, an almost unnoticeable smile on his lips as he watched her get dragged.

“Saeran can’t help you now.” Saeyoung whispered darkly, his hands now firmly on her waist as she kicked and struggled to get away.

“Get off, you idiot. Go harass Saeran, he’s the apple eating arsehole.” His face twisted into a look of annoyance as he had half the mind to throw the remote for her head, hoping it would knock some sense into her.

“I don’t even like apples.” The proclamation was unheard as she managed to slip away from Saeyoung, one of her wild flailing kicks hitting him in the dead center of his cute pudgy little belly.

Pulling herself up, she stuck her tongue out triumphantly and blew a raspberry.

‘So damn childish.’ Saeran couldn’t help but look back at her, admiring the way she laughed and the way she looked so proud of herself. Although, he wasn’t the only one looking at her that way.

His brother was also looking at her with twinking iris’, his pink lips pulled up into a smile as he beamed at the female that had kicked him just moments ago.

Saeran knew in his gut that they felt the same way towards the girl that quite possibly felt nothing at all. Sure she always hung around with them and joked, but there was always a certain distance she always maintained, making her seem unreachable despite being close enough to touch.

A raging emotion burned away at his chest and he already knew it was jealousy eating away at him. He hated how she was so nonchalant, how would he every get over her if she kept giving mixed signals? She was like a rollercoaster that never stopped.

"Did I hurt you?" Her voice snapped Saeran away from his day dream long enough for him to see her peering closely at Saeyoung, the burning sensation rising once more.

"Yeah, you did. I should get a kiss in compensation." Eyebrows raised at the promiscuous suggestion, but she shrugged.

"Alright." Both siblings froze at the word, none of them expecting in their wildest dreams for her to agree to such a thing.

"Wh-hat?" Saeyoung chokes out, his eyes wide as he blinked owlishly 

"You asked a kiss. And I'll give you one." He wasn't about to pass up on the offer, instead opting to swallow thickly and close his eyes in anticipation.

She leaned in and Saeran felt the urge to vomit, bile rising dangerously quickly up his throat as he was about to turn away.

Just as her lips were going to connect with his, she dodged quickly and transitioned smoothly into a dab, his lips getting smacked lightly with her finger tips.

"That's not fair, that's not a kiss." He whined, causing her to smile broadly and wiggle her finger.

"Nope but," she leaned forwards and planted a soft kiss straight on his nose, "that is."

His face instantly turned almost the same shade of red as his hair, his hands rushing to cover his burning cheeks. Even if it wasn't the kind of kiss he wanted, he couldn't help but be flustered.

"Happy?" The shit eating simper on her lips only sent his embarrassment into overdrive.

Standing up, she stretched and turned to her other buddy who's expression was cold and stormy.

"What's wrong with you?" Plopping down onto the couch beside him, he only looked at her from the corner of his eye before grunting and shuffling away.

She smelt her shirt and armpits and raised her eyebrows in jest, a feigned look of hurt on her sharp features.

"I don't smell. So mean." Jacket covered arms crossed themselves as she pouted, earning another brief glance.

"…Stop with that stupid face, you look like a fish." Within a second of that comment, a harsh flick was directed towards his forehead, making him help and glare at the offending female.

"Rude bitch. And to think I was considering ordering and paying for takeaway." It was almost sad how fast both of them looked at her, instantly perked up.

"Saeran, say sorry." Saeyoung ordered, giving him a look. After all, it was an opportunity for free food.

"N-" His soul almost left his body as he witnessed the glint on his brothers glasses.

"Fine. I'm sorry." He finally grumbled, annoyed.

Seeing him so free made her heart soar. Even if Saeran was grumpy and moody sometimes, she knew it wasn't because of any outside influence. To think that it had only been a few years since she'd been shot protecting V, since Rika had been sent away to get some help before doing time, since the RFA almost collapsed in on itself.

It was almost absurd how much had changed, and for the better too. 

During those times, she had no idea what to feel either. On one hand she wanted to help Saeyoung stop drowning in his depression, to be by his side unconditionally and to support him to her last breath. But she also wanted to stand by Saeran, to give him the love he was deprived of for years, to make sure he knew he was valid and beautiful.

Those feelings still remained, but she'd learn how to school her heart into seeming nonchalant. Figuring that if she remained loyally by their side, it would sooth both her and them.

"Alright. What would you guys like?" Knowing already what Saeran was going to say, she continued quickly, "yes I'll order ice cream Saeran, when haven't I?" He smiled contently and sunk back into the couch.

The elder twin rambled on, and she was happy to do whatever. Their happiness was her happiness and she wouldn't change that for anything.


	13. Praise~ || Saeran x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work contains spoilers for V's route.

Discomfort spread throughout her body as she thought about the events that had just transpired. The person that she had though to be nothing more than an AI, was in fact a real living and breathing human being that had just been captured.

V.

He had tried hard in getting her to escape and get her to run, but had instead been cornered and taken somewhere unknown. She was still slightly reeling from the shock, a sickening esense of betrayal making its way up from the pit of her stomach.

Her trust should have been shattered, completely obliterated with those actions, and yet, she couldn't bring herself to think ill of Ray.

The 'Saviour' however, was another matter. 

Left completely by herself in the room that the blonde had left her in, her eyes fell upon the large walk in wardrobe.

Maybe she could… No? Could she?

It was either now that she put the plan that was burning in her mind into action, or she would perhaps never get the opportunity again.

Swallowing down any worries she had, she quickly rushed into wardrobe and looked around with a racing heart.

There had to be a damned robe somewhere! 

Cursing internally, she almost fainted from relief once she spotted a dark hooded robe sitting unused in one of the far corners. It wasn't like the head of the organisation would have any use for the attire anyway.

Not even caring about the size, she slipped the robe on and made sure to cover any bits of skin or clothing that would easily identify her as an outsider. Now, all she needed to do was to find out where V was being held; a task easier said than done.

Every step she took was full of anxiety, nerves running rampant. The worry of being caught was ever prominent and caused a bead of sweat to slide down the side of her face, thankfully hidden by the shadows the hood cast over her face.

Hand slipping into her pocket, she noticed a sliver of paper tucked inside. 

"Believer B4256." The soft murmur was only heard by herself, the identification was more than likely the alias of the old owner of the robe. There wasn't much time to ponder of that, she still had the daunting task of finding out where exactly he was.

Keeping her head lowered, prayers were mumbled quietly under her breath as she wished for an easy passage. The last thing she needed was for either Ray or the Saviour to find her; a chill racked her spine from that thought. 

Wondering around aimlessly wasn't going to get her anywhere, so with a thick gulp, she put on a slight accent and walked up to the nearest fellow 'follower'.

"Excuse me." The slight flare of their robe was entrancing, their movements fluid as they turned around to answer.

"Yes? Is something the matter, my dear sister?" Chalking the term of endearment down to just being a part of this absolutely insane group, she smiled a very strained smile.

"I was just wondering where the prisoner was being held. The Saviour had requested for my watch, but I do not know where he is being held." Their eyes narrowed, scrutinising them and making her heart nearly burst out of her chest.

"He is being held in the dungeons. The traitor will go through purification ceremony." A soft 'oh' tumbled from her lips, her exterior cool and nonchalant despite her inside twisting and churning.

"Do you perhaps know where the dungeons are? I have never had a reason to go before." Nodding, they pointed down the corridor with a stoic and expressionless visage.

"My dear sister, the dungeons are straight ahead and a single right down the stairs. You can not miss it." Wiping her hands nervously on the material of the robe, a weak simper graced her lips as she nodded.

"Thank you. I-i appreciate the help." Taking a subtle step forward, her wrist was suddenly grasped tightly in their crushing hold.

"For eternal paradise." Dull and monotone was the only way she could describe the way they had spoken, but their grip did not loosen.

"F-for eternal paradise." Her wrist was released from it's crushing death hold. her breath shallow and suffocating as she raced down the corridor and right - away from the people that were severely hurt and mentally stunted by the horrific accounts of abuse that they no doubt had to endure.

And so, with a shuddering breath, she descended the stairs that lead down into the dungeons.

 

As she neared closer to the floor, her frowning face still hidden by the dark hood, a voice that she knew well rang out loudly and echoed mercilessly off the grey and overpowering walls.

"She's NEVER going to leave!" Just as she had rounded the corner, the disgusting image of Ray tightly holding V's face as he forced the very same drink that he had attempted to give her, down his throat.

Body moving faster than her mind could process, her hand connected with the glass bottle, the contents sloshing precariously before shattering harshly as it hit the floor.

Cyan hues widened, before narrowing in rage as she shielded the coughing man begin her. Thankfully, it didn't seem as though he had ingested much of the seemingly poisonous substance.

"What the hell are you doing?! Get out the way!" Attempting to swipe at her, she ducked smoothly and pushed him harshly against the floor, just a mere inches away from the splatters of blue on the stone floor.

"V! Go!" They both recognised that voice.

"M-MC?" Despite his coughing and spluttering, V managed to stand on his feet (albiet swaying).

"V, go! Go now, I'm holding him down." Beneath her, Ray was struggling with everything he was worth, his face contorted into an expression of utter rage.

"Why are you siding with that traitor!? MC-" His voice was choked, angry tears forming on his waterline as he thrashed around, his arms still pinned down by her body weight.

"Ray! Stop it, this isn't right! It's not right to drug people!" The pressure on his body increased, rendering him virtually immobile as his smouldering hues burned into her own.

"I'm not Ray! Don't call me that damned name!" The aggression was something she had never seen before.

"Then what should I call you?" Trying to buy time for V to run, his coughing dying down quickly, she stared him dead in the eyes.

"…Saeran…" His lips had not moved, instead it had been V who had whispered the name, the word barely carrying towards her.

It was almost as though something had shocked Saeran's body, the force he used to struggle was suddenly so much stronger, the scorching hatred giving him extra strength.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP, YOU'RE MAKING HIM APPEAR!" Brows knitted in confusion, yet she was unable to question further as she was nearly bucked off.

"Tell me," the hold on his shoulders tightened significantly, sure to leave imprints in his skin, "just what the hell is this place? It's no damn gaming company, and I just witnessed you try to drug someone. Tell me, TELL ME!" Adrenaline was beginning to kick in, her breathing short and ragged as she awaited answers.

"P-please MC, see reason! Get away from him and run, you don't need to be involved any longer." The leader's words were like honey; enticing, sugary and oh so sweet. But she wouldn't let herself waver.

"No, V. I need to know. What was in that shit you tried to get me to drink earlier, Saeran? I deserve to know that atleast, you lied to me about everything else." Though her words were quiet, the biting undertone was scarring.

"M-MC-" Hues flaring, she stared unto his eyes and shook her head forcefully.

"Don't CALL me that!" Effectively shutting him up for a few moments, her attention turned back to the harshly panting male that clutched his stomach.

"There's a chance for you to escape, go!" 

"I-i can't leave you. Run with me!" Shaking her head stubbornly, she glared harshly at V despite the internal sting it spread around her body.

"Jihyun! Damn it, GO NOW!" The sudden increase in volume made even the boy under her still, their pupils dilating greatly as her hood had slipped off her head, revealing her anxious expression.

She could see his adams apple bob as he swallowed thickly, his eyes holding many unspoken apologies as his glassy eyes mirrored Saeran's. But the reasons for which they were glassy were polar opposites.

"I'm sorry, MC…" He had sprinted out of the cell, his hood pulled tightly up over his head as he ran. She could only pray that he managed to escape quickly and get to safety. 

Her safety? That was in a matter that lay in boiling hot water that threatened to scald the longer she sat.

And suddenly, that pit of boiling water tipped over, her body thrown away like a rag doll into the stone walls of the cell. The position in which she had landed gave her the least possible room, quickly closed in by the quickly approaching hacker.

Fully expecting to be beaten within an inch of her life, her hands instinctively went to shield her face with her eyes shutting quickly as though that would minimise impact 

Instead, the sound of a thud made her head jolt upwards. 

In front of her, Saeran lay kneeling. 

And from his eyes poured agonising amounts of tears, the droplets staining his cheeks and dripping from his chin to the ground in little puddles. His entire body shook, shivers racing up and down his being as he shuddered from the intensity of his sobs.

"Why? Why is everything I care about always ripped away from me?" There was no trace of anger left in his voice, instead melting into complete and utter despair as he heaved, her own heart lurching horridly in her chest.

"Saeran.." The whisper was barely audible, her eyes instinctively eyeing the exit behind him. If she wished to do so, she could easily have ran out.

But she didn't. She couldn't leave him here, to drown in his own tears. He may have lied to her, but that didn't mean he deserved to cause himself such emotional agony.

Slowly, her body inched forward until she was in close enough proximity to pull him into a comforting embrace, her hand snaking its way into his sweaty locks of silver hair to pat it gently.

"Shh, don't cry. I don't want to see you cry. I-i just saw you hurting him, and I helped him. You lied to me, Saeran." His cries only increased, trembling against her like a newborn at her words.

"But, I forgive you. I don't understand why you lied to me, but you were honest in everything else you did." 

"Y-you don't hate me?" Shaking her head into his hair, he made no move to leave her warm hug.

"No, I could never. I only wish for you all to be happy, and this place isn't doing that." Sinking into her knees, her fingers drew soft patterns into his back as his hiccups slowly died down.

"You deserve so much better than this place. I've seen what she's been doing, even when you've tried to hide it. Her ideals are twisted and even if she believes they work, they're nothing but torture and abuse." The hold around his body tightened, his heartbeat drumming against his chest roughly enough for her to feel.

"It's inhumane. She told me that she makes people feel security, happiness and serenity, only to rip it away from them to keep them loyal. It's disgusting and I don't want that for you. I want your happiness, and I will help you gain that happiness."

"H-how?"

Deep breath in.

"You just have to come with me. Leave this place and never look back, I will be with you every step of the way. You never need to drink that elixir, we can walk in gardens full of your favourite flowers, eat ice cream all day long. All you have to do is come with me." It was a hopeful offer, one that would require enormous mental strength for both parties to truly fulfill.

But, somehow he felt himself be swayed by her words. And that terrified him. 

He shouldn't have felt like that, he shouldn't have been willing to break away from the Saviour's teachings. 

They were law.

But, despite this, he found himself nodding into her clothing, his head buried in her shoulder as his arms seeked comfort.

"I-i want to be happy, w-with you." He could feel her beautiful smile in his hair, her voice melodic and soft as she spoke.

"Of course. I'm always here for you, Saeran. I can help you become the best version of yourself, you have worth and it pains me that you don't know it." All he wished to do was curl up with her near, his head resting on her lap. His wants were simple, but they were so far away.

"We'll go to the hospital a-" His grip instantly tightened at that word, his head shaking furiously as he stammered.

"N-no! The Saviour says they will try to hurt me, they don't understand me! You can't take me there, y-you can't!" Silently promising to murder the blonde, her fingers resumed it's path through his hair.

"That's not true. They do understand you and they want to help you, like me. They won't do anything you don't want, I promise." Why did everything sound so appealing when it came from her mouth?

"R-really?" 

"Really." She confirmed.

"You're a beautiful person, Saeran. And you deserve to know that too. Come with me and I'll show you so many things, I'll bring you happiness that this place never brought." He was sold.

He was her's the moment that she had agreed to come to the damned building, it was only a matter of time before he fell like putty into he hands. His heart hammered so fast against his ribs that he thought he was going to faint, his head light from the headache he had induced from his tears.

"You'll be okay, Saeran. I _swear_ on my life."

And suddenly, the constrictions around his heart were lifted, her words soothing as they embedded themselves in his memory.

He would be okay. 

With her.


	14. Enough~ || Saeyoung x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work contains spoilers for Seven's route. Contains mentions of self hatred. Bold is a language of your choice

She really didn't understand him.

In the chatroom he was so nice, so fun to talk to and just charming in his own way. But here? In the flesh? He was like a soul sucking dementor.

Not once had he even acknowledged the whimsical girl in the slight since his arrival. Every time she'd try to engage him in a conversation, she was rudely shrugged off and ignored.

And it stung.

She couldn't think of anything that she'd done, not one thing that would have made him as hostile as he currently was. Perhaps the food she gave him wasn't to his liking?

'That couldn't be it? Could it?' She thought, glancing over at the hacker who slaved away.

'Why would he want to talk to me? I guess I really am pathetic.' The attitude radiating from him caused her thinking to spiral downwards, only fuelling her hatred. It seemed as though no matter what she did, she could never please anyone.

A never ending list of failures.

"Luciel, you can't starve yourself. Come on, I'll make you whatever you want, please." He offered only a grunt, not even sparing her a look.

"Seven, take a break. It's not healthy to be staring at the screen so long." A small smile made it's way onto her like as she realised her hypocrisy. How could see lecture him on the matter, when all she ever did was stare at her own phone with a longing look, waiting for someone to talk to her; to pull her momentarily out of the pit she was drowning in.

Seeing that he wasn't moving an inch, she stood up and slowly made her way over, making sure to keep a sizeable distance from the chair he occupied.

"Don't ignore me, please. I want to help you. Like you helped me." She added the last part only in her thoughts, too afraid to say it out loud for the backlash it might cause.

"I'll even try to find some of those crisps you really like, ju-" Before she even realised what had happened, she was on the floor, only a harsh stinging on her harm indicating what had happened.

"Be quiet. Can't you keep your fucking mouth shut?!" He stood up, his eyes flashing dangerously as he towered over her.

"Wh-"

"Shut the absolute fuck up. You're so damn annoying! Luciel this, Seven that. Hasn't anyone ever told you that you're irritating as shit? You would think after all that cold shoulder you would learn your place, but obviously not." His words cut further into her already shattered heart, yet she couldn't will herself to tear up, instead schooling her features into a blank slate.

"I don't care about you at all. All those things I said in the messenger was just an act, a ploy. And you're so stupid that you actually fell for it. I pity you. Only true idiots would be in your place." The only thing that could be heard was his laboured breathing, his chest rising and falling at a wild pace as he glared down at the female.

Her head was held down as she took the verbal beating, but soon she got up and stood tall at her full height, momentarily surprising him.

"Shut up. Shut the actual hell up." If her tone could have taken on a physical Item, it would have been a whip cracking at his haughty persona.

Her expression may have been dull, but her eyes glowed with a fierce fire that stole his breath away.

" **I'm fucking fed up. How about you sit yourself down and listen to me for once?** " The sudden language change stunned him and left him reeling. Unable to translate it as his brain was mush from her harshness.

" **I am shitty. I am stupid. I am dumb and useless. I'm every single one of those things you said I am and more. But that gives you no right to disrespect me.** " She took a step forward, an invisible force forcing him backwards as he daren't speak.

" **I want to die, so so badly. I have nothing to live for, and the RFA gave me something to cling to. But obviously it's only an illusion, tell me what I'm meant to do**." Her hand ran through her hair, strands protruding from between her fingers as she carried on.

" **I'm a replacement. Rika is the true member, I was only here by chance and by god I wish I never agreed to coming. I want to go home, I can't stand being in this apartment, yet here I am. For you.** " The emotions in her word left her breathless, but she carried on.

" **Is it such a crime to care about someone? I know you don't care, and that's why it hurts. No one should feel like me, let alone someone like you. I have no clue why you're acting this way, but I want to help. In one way before I go at least.** " Her finger nails scraped hard against her scalp, yet the burning didn't damper her spirit.

" **Please. Please. Please. Stop doing this.** " Seven openly gaped at the girl, who was crumbling in front of his eyes. Her jaw clenched and she swallowed thickly, refusing to cry as she waited for him to say something.

She wasn't expecting him to understand a single word, yet she felt a tiny flicker of hurt when he made no response.

"Fuck this. Fuck everything. I've had enough." She grabbed her phone, keys and all the money she had, her shoes slipped on in the blink of an eye as she muttered to herself.

Not even bothering to look at him, she reached for the apartment door. To hell with the bomb, she'd rather be blown to smithereens then waste time in a place where she was looked down upon.

Only her foot managed to make it out of the apartment doorway when her hand was suddenly seized, her body jerking backwards as her balance was unstable.

However, instead of falling flat on her back, she collided with a chest. The arm that had held her hand wrapping around her front in a tight embrace.

"Let me go! I don't want your damn pity! I want to go to home, let me go home." Her struggling was futile as her true feelings were shown via the voice crack emitted in her.

I'm sorry." The feeble whisper into her hair made her stop, the words choked as the embrace tightened.

"I'm so sorry, I-i just-" A dry heave stopped his sentence in it's tracks, making her stiffen as she felt tears drip onto her shoulder and shirt.

"You're not worthless. You're not a replacement. I don't believe any of that." The tears carried on, staining her clothing while she breathed heavily, the urge to rip away from his hold and run was strong but she suppressed it.

The hand that wasn't occupied with keeping her in place drifted upwards, joining its counterpart in holding her close. His arms created an X shape just above her stomach. 

Part of the reason why she hadn't shaken him off was because she was in shock, she hadn't expected him to understand a single word. But then again, he was the mysterious hacker of the RFA, so she couldn't be too surprised.

"Luciel.." Her soft tone only made his gut wrench more, his heart beating so fast she could feel it. 

"Don't go. I wanted t-to protect you, b-but I can't even do that. I-i thought that if I w-was a bitch then you wouldn't associate with me." Truth was in his words, no matter how much she wanted to believe that he was lying. 

At her silence, he only sobbed harder and she wondered how he was still standing, considering he was shaking so hard.

"Luciel, let go of me." He shook his head, curly red locks tickling her nape from the action.

"Let. Go." Reluctantly, he loosened his grip and she stepped away and turned around.

Shutting the door with her heel, she looked at the pitiful male who was trying to cover his tear streaken face with his hands to no avail. He was a mess with his messy hair, foggy glasses, running nose and stained cheeks. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to feel any disgust, in fact she felt bad for him.

Even if he’d treated her like shit on the bottom of his shoe, she wasn’t ready to hate him. Or even anything besides wanting to help him.

“Why must you do this to me? Damn you 707.” Seeing no visible reaction other then his form hunching over, she swallowed her nerves and wrapped her arms tightly around him, slowly guiding them both to the cold floor.

“I’m such shit. Don’t ever forgive me, I don’t deserve it.” His word were barely legible through his croaky voice. Instead of responding, she stroked his head gently and rubbed his back, trying to sooth the crying man.

“You’re such an arsehole. And I hope you know that, but I’m willing to forgive you, on one condition.”

“A-anything.”

“You stop pushing me away. You let me help you. I can’t watch you fade away while I’m barely here.” He nodded furiously, pressing himself further into her warmth like a chick seeking it’s mothers wing.

“O-okay.”


	15. Undo~ || V x Fem Reader

It all happened so fast, he was unable to comprehend anything.

The loud, body jarring _**BANG**_ shook him to the core, yet he was frozen in place.

Blurred vision displayed only the rush of another figure infront of his. How they'd gotten there so fast was a mystery he had no time to solve.

Nothing happened. 

No screaming nor the tell tale sound of the bullet hitting anything. Not a single sound. 

The figure moved, and he struggled to make out what they were doing, the tint of his glasses and the damage to his hues obscuring his vision.

"Sorry." His mouth did not utter a word. Someone else had spoken in a low mutter, and by the tone of voice he had deduced that they were female.

Nothing stirred around him, as though all movement had ceased. 

Suddenly, he felt warm fingers accidentally trace the sides of his face, gently holding onto the frame of his sunglasses before sliding them off delicately, as though they were pieces of fragile china.

There was no time to be shocked about that however, as a soft pair of lips left fluttering kisses on his closed eyelids. The sensation staying behind despite the act being less then a second.

Blinking, the long lashes grazing across his skin, he opened his eyes.

Instead of the blurry mass he was expecting, everything was incredibly defined. As though he was looking through the lens of one of his most prized cameras.

"What on earth?" The surprised proclamation passed through his lips before he was able to subdue it, hands rubbing at his eyes as he was unable to believe what had just transpired.

A light chuckle came from beside his figure, soft words following soon after.

"I wouldn't quite say this was earthly. But I can tell you what's happening." The female next to him grimaced for a split second, a serene smile replacing it quickly, "time has stopped."

That was of no help to the befuddled male. Time had stopped? What kind of absurd testament was that?

"Surprised?" She asked, gazing ahead as his mouth failed to muster up a single word.

"I had to do this, and I apologise for it. But it's all my fault this happened." He saw her cheeks hollow, but he paid no mind to it. Instead be focused on the fact that she had said that it was 'her fault'.

"It would have been more fitting if I had taken that bullet, but unfortunately I am unable to." A self deprecating sigh.

Tearing his gaze away from the almost ethereal person, he took the time to gloss over everything around him. 

In the far corner, stood Seven. His arm limp at his side as he clutched it with his non injured limb. His red curls were an unruly mess atop his head, covering parts of his glasses as his amber hues remained in their enlarged and horrified state. 

Vanderwood, the agent, was just a stone throw away from the dedicated hacker, his own arm extended infront of him as he tried fruitlessly to reach and stop the armed gunman. 

His wondering eyes stopped on Rika.

His sun. His world. His _downfall._

She looked as stunning as ever, even with the long white robes draping across her figure, the cursed Mint Eye logo adorning the front. Her emerald hues held only animosity and shock as she remained fixated on the sight of Saeran firing. 

His heart clenched painfully, a powerful emotion that he couldn't put a name to coursing through him.

"Rika…" No matter how desperately he called out, she did not move. A statue lost to time and his memories. 

"I'm sorry. I really am." His attention was back on the god like female, who wasn't looking at him - instead staring straight at the frozen gunman.

"Poor child." Whispering, she took a step forward and plucked the bullet out from the air, dropping it to the ground near her feet with the grace of a ballet dancer.

"He's the biggest victim in all of this." Standing only a foot away from the frenzied young adult, her hand reached out to deftly trace his face; the pale porcelain of his skin warm under her fingers. 

"He knows nothing but fear and hate. But there is love in him. It's a pity it's buried so deep." The melancholy murmur was loud enough for him to hear, her hand dropping to her side as she swiftly turned around.

"Do you wish to see?" The question was sudden, startling him and causing the male to stutter.

"Pardon me?" What was the question supposed to mean? 

"To see what could have been." Her statement did nothing to clear up the haze in his mind, only creating a thicker fog of questions. 

"I'm sorry, I don't understand quite what you mean." She did not elaborate, instead striding over to where he stood and taking his hand in her own warm one.

A strong sensation of weightless overtook his senses, disconnecting him from reality for a few seconds before he felt ground beneath his feet once more. 

Her warmth left his palm, instead she used her now freed hand to gesture towards the pitch black in front instead of the earlier scene.

"This is where it all began." The cryptic words served no use to his reeling thoughts, gears whirring in his head as he tried to figure out what was going on.

As the room began to fill with light, the darkness in front melting into warm colours that soothed his eyes, he was left powerless to stop the gasp from tumbling past his lips. 

'Huh?' Unable to turn his running thoughts into coherent words, he shut his mouth and started at the scene playing in front of him.

 

In front of him was his younger self by three years, walking with a pleased and satisfied smile on his visage. No glasses or cane in sight. It was so incredibly foreign, like a distant dream despite it being not so long ago.

He watched with wide eyes as he walked down a hallway that he only faintly remembered. Until it hit him, his heart rate instantly racing as he realised what was being shown.

"Oh god." The words were so low that she almost didn't catch them, but she knew exactly why he had said that.

He couldn't stand the anticipation, the tense atmosphere killing him as his younger version finally rounded the corner.

"Do you like it?" His voice rang out thought the room, causing a nostalgic twinge of emotion to ring out in his heart 

There, in front of his younger self, stood Rika. 

The beautiful woman had been gazing at one of his photographs, entranced by the stunning colours and hidden meanings encapsulated into the work of art. Her blonde locks cascaded down her back and framed her face perfectly, stealing both the current and past V's breath.

Yet, among that adoration, he felt something else. A darker feeling that he couldn't quite describe. A feeling that only increased as he watched his past self interact with the woman that would later cause his ruin.

Finally the scene finished, a breath he had held being let out too.

"I don't understand…" A crack in his voice caused him to trail off prematurely, forcing him to swallow to keep himself composed. 

"I don't expect you to understand Jihyun. I really don't." He didn't feel any surprise towards her knowing his real name, nothing about her was surprising anymore. Not after this.

"I am Cupid. Or better known to you as 'MC' and I am solely responsible for everything that had happened." His heart and head were pounding, just what did she mean?

"C-cupid?" He could barely enunciate the word.

She nodded, "yes. The one you've heard about in stories and old folklore."

"But why would a being such as yourself be here?" He couldn't understand, surely a god like herself would have better things to do then be showing him his past?

"Because it is my duty to fix my wrongs. Even if it means revealing my form." The conviction in her tone was strong, silencing any other questions he might have had on her motives. 

Taking a deep breath, she continued. 

"This may come as a shock but," slender fingers laced into a fist in preperation, "you were never meant to fall in love with Rika." 

Hearing those words felt quite ironically like a bullet shooting through his heart, a unimaginable amount of emotional pain shooting through his veins as the throbbing in his head increased.

"Wh-" The words stuck like glue in his throat, a whine replacing his delirious question.

"It was a horrific mistake on my part and by the time I was able to right myself, it was too late to fix it. However, I think showing you will provide a better explanation." Like magic, the scene in front began to rapidly change. This time with a male with (h/c) in the frame.

"That addition figure is me. I am able to fluctuate between male and female." She demonstrated by going up into a puff of golden smoke. In place of her female form stood a tall and rougishly handsome male around an inch or two taller than himself. 

She changed back and allowed him to focus his attention on the scenes in front. 

In her 'younger' male persona's hand lay a fizzing concoction. Instead of being something like a drink, it seemed to be something of magical origin.

The magic was a bright and eccentric blue in the shape of a heart, going against the notion of the cupid equipping a bow and arrow. 

Despite seeming normal, something sinister began to happen. The magic in her hand began to glow blindingly bright, the blue almost a bright white before it dimmed down and flew off her hand, striking her in the chest and causing her to keel over in what seemed to be pain. 

Since the magic was not held by it's welder, it began to go haywire - hitting the roof, sides and paintings, before finally hitting him dead in the chest and fizzing black before desolving.

"The spark of true love is red. Yours, as you could see, was black. Black is infatuation, destined for damnation. And you were hit." He swallowed thickly, the image of him speaking to Rika with a smile on his face sent his gut twisting. 

The visuals then began to dissolve, instead flicking quickly through stills of his life after that fateful meeting. He notice though, that in every image, she was always there in either male or female form with a forlorn expression.

The flipping finally stopped, now around them was the very situation she had paused earlier, the bullet still in its rightful place on the floor near her feet.

"Nothing was your fault. Not a single bit of it was your doing. It was incredibly unhealthy on both sides." Taking calculated and successive steps, she stood, once again, in front of Saeran.

"I will not allow you to suffer for my mistakes, so I will allow once exception to the rule." Her smile was gorgeous, stealing his breath as she closed her eyes.

"Don't worry, your eyesight shall remain intact. I have the power to fix anything that was caused by me, directly or indirectly." Her hand hovered just over the gun and her eyes opening, white engulfing them both for a moment.

 

A bloodcurdling scream rang out, but it did not belong to neither V nor Cupid, in fact it had been Rika who had let out such an ungodly sound. Somehow, he felt no care for the sound, finding it grating on his fragile nerves.

Instead he watched as she slapped the gun out of Saeran's hold, clattering to the floor before she kicked it away to some far and desolate corner.

He watched as her fingers lit up with a slight gold hue as she managed to subdue the hysterics Saeran, calming him down until she was able to make him slump from lack of consciousness.

He watched as Vanderwood's scooped up the abused twin and turned away with pain in his mocha hues.

He watched as Rika was forced to the ground by police officers who had ripped through the door, her hands being put into cuffs as she cried out to her followers desperately for help. Help that she did not receive. 

He watched as she can closer, her warm hand once again enveloping his own as she gently tugged him away from the chaos and back out through the heavy iron door. 

And he smiled. A huge and genuine smile.


	16. Jailtime~ || Jumin x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of homelessness.

Light flashed in her eyes, bright streaks of red and blue illuminating her figure as her hands were up in surrender. At least three police cars surrounded her, all of them pointed towards her unmoving body.

She sighed.

There was nothing she could do, she was caught and it was time to fess up to her crimes.

Sounds seemed to drown out as police officers surrounded her, the mask around her face becoming increasingly more suffocating. 

Closing her eyes, the flashing lights seeping in through the closed lids, she allowed herself to be subdued. This was her punishment and she would take it accordingly. 

And so she offered no resistance as her body was shoved forcefully into the police car, the only regret in her mind was that she had not been more careful in her escapades.

 

Her face remained in its default stoic expression, her shoulders gripped tightly as she was shoved along with her hands cuffed - a safety precaution she deemed irritating. 

'Damn it.' Even after leaving the scene of the crime, the blinding lights didn't leave her vision at all, blaring incessantly in her preferal vision. 

All she wished for was to leave, but that was a fleeting wish. She had no doubt that she would be locked up for quite a while for her numerous crimes.

Blowing a strand of hair out of her face, she waited patiently for her hands to be released so she could take her unflattering mugshot.

Rings around her wrist were a bright screaming red, but she wasn't here for a pity party or medical attention.

All measures were done and dusted within half an hour, since not very many people had been in the police station during the time of her arrest. And she wasn't surprised that it was the case, it had just turned half 11 if the dusty clock on the cream wall was anything to go by.

Fully expecting to be thrown into a jail cell for the night, she accepted her fate as she slumped into her seat, shoulders sagging pathetically.

But that time never came. Minutes ticked by at a painfully slow pace, all officers either ignoring the waiting girl, or just glancing at her briefly before walking on.

'What the hell is going on?' Sitting up straight, her gaze never left the approaching police man.

"I don't know how you've done it. But you've been bailed out." Eyes widening, she stared owlishly at the officer like he'd just grown a third head.

"S-sorry, but could you repeat that?" Her stammering stemmed from her disbelief towards her situation.

"Someone has bailed you out." He repeated, annoyance flashing in his dark hues as he gestured for her to follow; which she did so like a lost puppy after it's owner.

Someons bailed her out? But that was impossible! No one even knew she was here! And she knew for a fact that no one was nice enough to bail out a random person they didn't know.

"Do you happen to know who?" The officer shook his head at the question, his palm extended towards her with her phone placed in the centre.

"It was an anonymous tip." That just seemed to make the questions in her mind broaden.

"Oh…" The soft and deflated sigh left her lips as she took the phone from his outstretched hand, slipping it deftly into her back pocket.

"You're free to leave." Nodding at his words, she inhaled deeply and took a few hesitating steps towards the doors of the station, before poweing quickly through the door, not once looking back.

 

The first thing she experienced once stepping out was the _cold_.

It was so harsh and bitter, nipping at her skin and drawing out any means of heating in her body. The clothes on her skin did nothing to conserve any warmth, by now however, she was used to such a thing. 

Her breath formed little clouds as hot air met the freezing temperatures of the South Korea night, her arms crossed over her chest to try and keep herself warm.

The pitch black terrain out in front of her eyes didn't help her in the least. There was no way she could find her way back in such terrible conditions and low lighting.

"Fuck it all." Hissing at her bad luck, as well as the biting wind forcing goosebumps onto her skin.

Suddenly all she could see was an almost ethereal white light, the spell causing her to momentarily become blind. 

Blinking rapidly a couple of times, she realised with distain, that it was a vehicle and not the light of death calling her to it's side. Assuming that the car wasn't here for her, she sidestepped and carried on walking.

The sound of the door opening made her walk faster, feeling slightly alert and endangered.

A voice however, made her stop dead in her tracks.

"MC, is that you?" 

Exhaling lowly, she spoke in a soft yet suspicious tone.

"Jumin? What are you doing here?" She didn't have the gall to turn around and face him, deeming herself unworthy of being spoken to at the present moment.

"I should perhaps be asking you the same thing." His monotone voice only made the bite of his words sting more, her heart and soul fragile.

"Just got arrested," she shrugged with a soft mumble, "it doesn't matter. I should go home." 

Attempting to carry on her journey, she took another step. But a warm hand gripped her own, stopping her midway.

"Forgive me, but I don't believe that being arrested on charges of burglary is anything to just shrug off, MC." 

Her face twisted into a scowl, anger clear in her once dull hues. Ripping her arm away from the overly zealous corporate heir, she turned around and stared him dead in the eye.

"So what? I'm sorry I'm not the perfect girl that I make myself out to be. It doesn't matter to me, so it shouldn't matter to you." His posture and stance remained the same, not in the least affected by her outburst, it seemed like he was actually expecting it.

There was no movement, not from her nor the stoic male in front of her, until she finally decided to carry on walking. The fire of her anger providing some heat momentarily.

"MC, why don't you come with me?" No response.

"MC, you can't keep running forever." All you could hear was her ragged breathing, her body stock still.

"I need to go Jumin, and you should head home. You won't gain much from conversing with a _**thief.**_ " The tone remained passive despite her burning desire to scream out loud.

The sound of footsteps and the car door closing reached her ears, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief.

Gravel crunched loudly under her footfall, the noise calming amist all the turmoil churning in her stomach. Continuing straight ahead, she paid no mind to the limo beside her, going slowly at the same pace as her. 

He really knew how to wind her up good and proper, didn't he?

Almost literal sparks flew from her head, irritation at the damned stubborn heir only growing with every second that the car followed her movement - until she snapped.

"God FUCKING damn it Jumin! Just fuck off!" The yell dissolved into the night, but the burning sin of wrath did not. 

He stepped out again, staring her down with an impassive expression.

"Why won't you allow me to escort you home?"

"Because I don't want your babying! Go home Jumin, and leave me be." Breaking off the eye contact, she stared solemnly at her shoes. 

"I don't wish to baby you. I only want to see you off safely." The underlying sincerity of his words hit her hard, yet she still refused to meld to his wishes.

"Well I don't want you to!" There wasn't even a valid reason for her to be so angry, she just hated that someone cared so much.

"We're at opposite ends of the scale, Jumin. I don't want to damage your reputation because someone might have spotted you with a homeless tramp like me." He uttered not a word, openly watching with curiosity.

"I don't steal because I enjoy it. I steal because it's the only way I'll survive in this damn hell hole. No place will employ me, and trust me, I've tried. People look down at me with scowls on their faces, so what am I meant to do? Die? I wish, that'd be too easy." He gingerly took a step forward, making sure not to alarm the ranting female who looked ready to collapse.

"I'm dirty criminal trash that's no better than the rats scurrying around in the sewer. I don't deserve you attention. Who ever bailed me out made a mistake, I would much rather rot away in a prison cell than be out here." Her shoulders slumped heavily, chest heaving rapidly as she attempted to regain her breath. 

She was suddenly encapsulated within heat, the soft warmth seeping through her clothing as her face buried itself into a chest. Arms wrapped themselves around her smaller figure, an overwhelming sense of security taking over.

"Let me help you." His voice was muffled by her locks, slender fingers twirling them around into little ringlets. 

"I don't want your pity, Jumin." 

"I'm not offering you any. Come with me and I'll help you get onto your feet. There's no need for someone as gracious as you to be withering away. _Please_ MC." Not waiting for her response, he reluctantly released the embrace and took her hand.

"Come on, no refusals." 

She stared at his back, an overwhelming emotions flowing through her body. Her heart felt ready to burst, beating pleasantly against her flushed skin. It was astounding how moments ago she was freezing to death, and now she felt like she needed to take off a few things. 

But the one thing she knew and felt was gratitude towards the tall male pulling her in. She never expected him to care, there was no reason for him to care. And yet, here he was; being hospitable and sending her pulse in to a frenzy.

A gentle smile spread across her lips, the fog in her mind lightening.

'Thank you Jumin. Thank you so much.'


	17. Innocence ~ || Child Jaehee x Fem Reader

A cool breeze drifted around her home, the blinds on her windows fluttering with the soft wind. Pillows lay askew on the sofa as she lay across in in a nonchalent manner, leg half dangling off the edge with her head slightly poking out of the pillows around her face.

In her hands lay her phone, currently being used to message two others on the group chat.

MC: Well Yoosung, you can be as smart as Albert Einstein, but if you don't try then you're going to stay at the bottom

Jumin: I agree, hard work puts you at the top

Yoosung★: ;;;

Yoosung★: I guess so…

MC: Don't worry though, I'm always free. I might not be that much aid, but I'll always help you out.

Yoosung★: Thank you!

Yoosung★: How well do you understand quadratic factorisation?

MC: …

MC: Haven't done that for a while, but I guess I'm alright. 

Jumin: I could always hire a tutor for your

Jumin: It wouldn't be too hard to find someone willing to teach you

Jumin: You are a bright pupil after all

Yoosung★: It's fine Jumin, really. 

The topic of the conversation wasn't the most riveting or emotionally investing, but if she got to speak with her friends she didn't mind.

Though she did wish Jaehee was in the chatroom…

Jaehee has entered the chatroom

'Speak of the devil.' Smiling to herself, she was quick to greet the fellow female.

MC: Hey Jae!

MC: How ya doing?

Jaehee: Huh? Who are you? Mummy never told me about this…

Yoosung★: Mummy?

MC: Jae? Are you okay?

Jaehee: I am fine! You're so pretty! And that boy with the yellow hair is too!

Yoosung★: Yellow hair…?

Jumin: Assistant Kang, are you quite alright?

It was pretty serious if Jumin was getting worried.

Jaehee: I'm okayyyyyyyyyyyyyy

MC: Jaehee?

Something was really off, even if medicines and such made her woozy, Jaehee would stay off the group chat to avoid causing embarrassment to herself, (something she could have taken homage from). So this was absurd.

Jaehee: I'm by myself and I can't find mummy

MC: …

MC: I'm going over. Don't do anything weird in the meantime.

This was too weird to let slip, and she couldn't help but feel unease begin to pool at the bottom of her gut. Maybe this was all a misunderstanding and Jaehee was just drunk off her rocker, but she wouldn't find peace until she checked up on her.

Jumin: Do be careful MC 

MC: I will!

Slipping her phone into her back pocket, she got up and jogged towards her bedroom. Clothes were taken off and scattered around the room at the speed of light, trousers and shirts thrown haphazardly around the area as she ran straight out of her home and towards the car.

 

Standing infront of the apartment's pristine white doors, an overwhelming amount of insecurity washed over her like a tsunami. Just how out of place was she against the beauty of the building? Here she was in scruffy clothing and mediocre fashion, and then there was the occasional modellesque men and women that walked past her without so much as a second glance.

"Come on." Breathing in the cold air conditioned air, she knocked.

Goosebumps formed on her arms, running across the surface like little hills as no one answered.

"Jaehee?" The echo of her voice reverberated around the hall, awkwardness creeping up on her not unlike the cold.

Underneath the slight irritation she felt, anxiety also began to bubble. What if she was hurt and unable to answer? She didn't seem to be too well judging by what was sent in the chat.

With a hefty sigh, she stuck her hand into the letter box, fiddling around and digging her fingers into the bottom to grab a hold of the spare key Jaehee'd hidden.

Finally, after half a minute of looking like a complete knob, she pulled out her hand now with a silver key in her grasp.

The door was unlocked quickly, almost thrown open by the female.

"Jaehee? Jae? Where are you? Are you okay?" The onslaught of questions would have caught anyone off guard, the door shut behind her as she slipped off her shoes as quickly as she could.

"Aw come on, I didn't break into your house for a laugh, Jae. Answer." Little trickles of fear began to seep into her being.

Nothing seemed out of place, the area quite neat and tidy - a stark contrast to her own home.

Suddenly, a patter of feet caught her attention. A patter too light to be the assistant's.

"Who the fuck is here?" Picking up a thick book that lay on the coffee table, she began to slowly prowl along the corned, eyes narrowed to nearly slits.

The pattering seemed to stop just in front of her, dangerously close. Inhaling deeply with her eyes closed, she lifted the book.

"Come out!" Slamming the book against the well, she heard a loud and high pitched scream; way too high to belong to an adult.

"What the…" In front of her stood a small child, barely over 8 years old. 

Barely noticing the discarded book, she stared at the little girl with wide eyes, barely able to take it in. 

Just why was there a girl here? As far as she knew, Jaehee had no kids nor younger siblings.

"Who are you?" The tactless question was all she could think of.

"Mummy said to not talk to strangers!" The girl's pink dusted cheeks puffed out, her breath toagged, presumably from the earlier screaming.

"Who's your mother?" 

"She's not here!" Tears began to bubble up in front of her beautiful brown hues, making her panic.

"Hey hey, don't cry!" She couldn't deal with crying adults, much less children.

Bending down to her height, the tears tainting her cheeks were wiped away, soft hiccups coming from the girl.

"What's your name? Mine's MC." Sure she felt slightly off about using her fake name, but it wasn't like the child would notice.

"M-mine's Jaehee." Her hand paused just centimetres from her cheek, posture and confidence stuttering as she stared with suspicion.

"Jaehee?" The small female nodded, a small smile contrasting the wet trail of tears on her cheeks.

"Jaehee Kang, and I'm 8 years old!" She was going to have to sit down.

"Oh? I thought you were older, you're so smart." Jaehee seemed to brighten up at the comment and she couldn't help but feel even more enamoured. 

"Let's go to the living room, and we'll find your mum, okay?" She didn't know how to handle kids too well, but she would make an effort for the small Jaehee. 

Taking the absurdly small hand in her own, she walked to the living room. And in the living room, she spotted something very interesting sitting on the island.

'What's this?' Picking up the purple package sitting on the island, she scanned the back and front, absorbing some very interesting information. 

"'Rejuvenating coffee?' Sounds a bit weird." Humming to herself, she carried on reading the small print before stopping on one particular phrase.

'Make yourself look and feel years younger! The effects last two times longer, guaranteed to satisfy you.' 

Make Jaehee look and feel younger was something it definitely did…

"Two times longer… I swear Jaehee told me that she goes four hours with one cup.' Hissing as she realised just what that meant, she slapped a hand to her forehead and irritation.

"Eight hours I have to wait with her for that to wear off. Damn it." Cursing under her breath, her attention was caught by a tug on her shirt.

Looking down, she realised that the little Jaehee was looking up at her, eyes wide and glassy and so full of purity.

"My legs hurt." The soft pout of the girl's bottom lips had her melting, heart turning into a puddle of smitten goo.

She was already gae for Jaehee, she needn't do this. Overkill was the name for what she was doing.

"Alright. Come here." Holding out her tiny arms, she lifted her up swiftly and moved over towards the computer desk where she herself sat down, with the miniature Jaehee on her lap.

'I'm sure she won't mind me using her computer.' Only a quick google search was needed after all.

'Rejuvenating coffee makes you a child' Hitting search, no results came up so she tried again.

'Child rejuvenating coffee' Still nothing…

'Coffee makes you a child' This time something did come up, but it was forums on how nescafe made people feel alive and energetic. Not the most helpful thing.

Jaehee shifted on her lap, soft brown hair tickling the underside of her chin as she sighed.

"I'm bored." The small declaration made her lips form a straight line. How was she supposed to entertain a child when she was so incredibly boring?

Maybe she still liked the things she did when she was an adult?

That possibility made her jump up, almost sending the girl flying off her lap with a squeal, only just holding on.

"Sorry. Would you like to watch some TV?" Nodding eagerly, a bright and toothy grin almost split her cheeks.

"Yes please!" Classic Jaehee, always so polite. One of the many reasons why she fell for the beautiful office worker so hard. There was a lot more, but the main ones were her tenacity, her caring tendancies and her absolutely gorgeous being.

Jaehee had her wrapped so tightly around her little finger that she could barely breath in he presence, feeling overwhelmed whenever she saw her.

It was a shame that she believed the feelings weren't reciprocated.

With a soft chuckle, she sat her down on the sofa where she swung her legs giddily, the goofy simper still plastered on her youthful face.

'Which one is suitable for kids?' Despite knowing that Jaehee was a fully functioning adult, she didn't want to risk tainting her childhood mind with anything too promiscuous. But it didn't seem like anything Zen was in was safe for work, let safe alone for children.

After almost a full minute of searching, she decided on one of Jaehee's favourites. One where Zen portrayed a Prince looking for his princess, only to find out that she had passed away during his time away. 

Quite a sad tale, but there wasn't much to choose from.

Dimming the lights and closing the curtains, she sat on the couch beside her and picked up her phone. She didn't care much for his plays, sure she enjoyed them but she wouldn't have voluntarily watched them in her free time. 

Pulling her legs to her chest, she pulled up the messenger and noticed that the infamous hacker of the RFA was online.

MC: Henlo Uglie

707: Me? Uglie? My godly beauty begs to differ MC!

MC: Forgive me! I daren't disrespect the almighty god 707. Have mercy!

707: All is forgiven, no need to worry! ;)

A soft yet warm pressure began to ease into her side, and with a slight side glance, she realised it was Jaehee leaning into her. However, she didn't seem to notice that she was doing so, her gaze focused intently on the screen where Zen was now on the stage declaring vengeance on the enemies for stealing his princess.

With a hint of a smile dancing on her lips, she wrapped her arms around her crush's child form and continued typing, the strong and heartfelt words of the actor turning into white noise.

707: Did you go over to Jaehee's house?

MC: Mhm, she's doing well

707: Really? That's good

707: She seemed weird with those messages

MC: Talk about hypocrisy, you're the weirdest one here!

707: :O

707: Oh how you wound me so! A big gaping hole instead of my heart! Kiss it better MC!

MC: Mwah~

MC: You're lucky you're so cute Luci

707: You're making me blush~ 

"Look! He's fighting the baddies! I want a prince!" Even though the words were so innocent and non hurtful, she couldn't help but feel suffocated.

"Yeah, he looks awesome. I can be your prince for now! No one will hurt my little Jae!" That was the truth, even if Jaehee didn't feel the same, she would always protect her. It was the least she could do after all.

"Thank you." Feeling her heart stutter from the gratitude, she hurriedly looked back towards her phone which had just dinged.

A private message.

707: Have you told her yet? 

707: You cant hide forever, (y/n)

MC: I can and I will

MC: Why would I tell her when I know she doesn't feel the same?

MC: She means too much to me for me to just confess and mess everything up

MC: I appreciate your efforts Luci, but I'm not going to confess.

707: You don't know. Maybe she does like you back.

MC: I highly fucking doubt that. Who the hell would like my dumbarse?

707: Alot of people actually

707: Don't discredit yourself

MC: Huh, thanks Luci

MC: Love you

707: Love you too…

Despite being hopeless when it came to love, she knew that he liked her. It was a horrible love triangle they were stuck in. Two unrequited cases of love with both of them looking at different people whom they couldn't have.

But maybe her case wasn't so unrequited. If she looked harder she would have seen so many clues.

"Miss MC?" 

"Yeah?"

"Can I have some food?" Gasping at her obliviousness, she shot up.

"Of course! What would you like?" Chocolate eyes twinkled at the idea of getting whatever her heart desired.

"I want a um, cookie please." Nodding, she walked over towards the cupboard and pulled out the biscuit tin where Jaehee kept her delicious cookies.

"Here you are. But you can't just have that, I'll make you some pasta." Handing over the small treat, Jaehee sat happily on the stool in front of the island and munched her cookie as she watched her current guardian work her culinary magic.

 

Before long, she had finished making the pasta and had plated it up for her, handing her a fork sitting opposite her.

"Don't get your clothes dirty. I don't have anything else for you to wear."

"Okie!" 

Jaehee was so precious. No wonder her mother loved her so much before passing away. Her soft and chubby cheeks were enough to make anyone fawn and her cute high pitched speech made her want to fan girl. But the best thing was the woman she grew up to be, so classy and regal, untouchable by anyone else.

Keeping a hawk like watch, she waited for Jaehee to finish her plate before cleaning her mouth and washing the used dishes, placing them on the trying rack with a tired sigh. Looking after a child was exhausting.

Stealing a quick glance at the clock, she realised that six hours had passed insanely quick. 

'Only two more hours left.' Rubbing her eyes, a yawn escaped her. And Jaehee seemed to be doing likewise, her small hands curled into fists as she stretched with a big yawn to match.

"Are you tired?" 

"Mhm." Deciding that 10pm was late enough, she picked up the freshly fed female and turned off the TV, balancing her on her hip as she walked down the hallway to the bedrooms.

'Should I put her in the guestroom or the bedroom?' Deciding on the guest bedroom, for she would be staying there too for a while, she seated her softly onto the plush white covers.

Thankfully, Jaehee wriggled quickly under the covers and closed her eyes instantly, brown hair splaying out on the pillow like a halo.

"Beautiful…" A hand reached out to stroke the silky locks of brown, the tresses slipping from between her fingers like droplets of water.

And somewhere in between that soft stroking, she too had fallen asleep, her head rested on the bed with her arm wrapped tightly around the now adult Jaehee.

All that was left to say was that it was a very interesting morning the next day.


	18. Snow || Child Saeran x Child GN Reader x Child Saeyoung

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This two shot contains mentions of child abuse and neglect.

Cold and delicate snowflakes settled across the ground, creating thick layers of snow across the grass, concrete and pavements; also known as a child's play haven.

Glove covered hands set about creating the world's most perfect snowball, their tongue lolling from between their lips as their hot breath left their mouth and formed clouds of soon dispersing heat. 

The child-like glee that filled their body was shared by the quiet neighbourhood, the kids from down the road playing with each other as they hurled snowballs and created snowmen. 

They would have gone to play with them, but they preferred to stay closer to home where they could help their mother and father should they need any assistance. And it was also because they had heard some animal like whimpering, their curiosity piping as the small sniffles seemed to be incredibly near.

"Hm? Is it a kitty that didn't make it inside?" The noises did sound strangely kitten like, the tiny and continuous sneezes a strange high pitch that perfectly resembled a newborn kit.

"Hello?" The crunch of the snow underneath their feet was loud, and they frowned once they realised that they might have scared away the poor sick creature. 

Although, that did not seem to be the current case as the sneezing resumed a mere second later.

With a hand cupped to their ear in a rather comical fashion, they deduced that the frantic kitten like sniffles and sneezes were coming from the other house. 

The derelict house to the right of their own.

That particular home had never housed anyone, not anyone that they were aware of anyway. The walls outside were chipping away at a grotesquely fast rate, and the windows were caked in grime and grease that would take at least a year to clean off. Dark puffs of sooty smoke sometimes left the chimney of the house, but everyone had chalked that down to the faulty boiler letting out some gas.

To think that someone would live in such poor conditions was a shock to human morality and ideals.

Their detective skills were turned on as they still hunted for the source of the noise, before finding the origins to be just a few inches away from the high fence separating the two properties.

But since when did a little piece of wood ever stop them from doing whatever they pleased? Never was the correct answer.

Scaling the wall quickly, they swung their legs in a rather professional manner over the top and jumped down into the bushes. The last thing they needed was to be caught sneaking around someone else's home; the scolding would last for centuries!

Unfortunately, the bitter cold had managed to soak through their trousers and had begun to chill their knees. But that trouble was soon forgotten as their already wide eyes enlargened by an impossible amount.

There, in the middle of the vast white battleground, lay a small ball of shivering cloth.

"Hello? Are you okay?" Gravel and snow gave way under the weight of their heavy snow boots, curiosity gripping them in it's tight and almost suffocating hold.

Although they had muttered a hello, they were not prepared at all to see what they saw. 

A boy, no older than themselves, was laying shivering on the floor. His body was clothed in skimpy attire that wouldn't have warmed even a mouse, his shirt close to sliding off his shoulders as he trembled like a newborn. His legs were covered in merciless goosebumps, only clad in incredibly thin shorts that conserved no heat. His feet were bare and a startling white, no blood running through his limbs.

But the worst of the entire scene was the frosted shackle wrapped around his ankle, confining him to that single spot in the freezing cold garden. The chattering of his teeth was so loud that they doubted he had even heard them approach in the first place. 

They may have been a mere 10 year old, but they were no fool. It was clear that this boy was likely going to die of the cold if something was not done. 

Thinking quickly, their mind whirring, they pulled off their hat, earmuffs and scarf and gently nudged the child with their arm.

An almost dead noise emitted from the boy, the sound resembling something you would hear from an animal that had just been struck by a heavy vehicle. His head tilted upwards ever so slowly, damp red locks talking infront of his beautiful amber eyes as his blue tinted lips curled into a surprised 'o' shape.

"Here," they urged, "take it. You need it more than I do." 

His fingers were a deathly white, almost frozen to the point of frostbite as his hands shook vigorously. The poor boy was unable to reach out for the items as his body gave out, barely fighting for his life as his lips turned progressively darker.

"Sorry." Mumbling a quiet apology, they had quickly pulled on the hat atop his dishevelled red hair, and wrapped the scarf snugly around his neck with the earmuffs as a finishing piece. 

But that didn't help much when the rest of his body was nearing the point of no return. 

"Stay here, I'll be right back." His hazy vision could only just make out a frantic figure jumping over the fence, his eyes becoming increasingly drowsy as all he desired to do was fall asleep. His arms and legs felt numb, and they had been for quite some time now.

His mother refused to come out, deeming him a bastard child for not being as strong as his brother, for being so irredeemably weak. All he ever wished to do was be happy with his brother, and yet, he was punished harshly and without end.

Why did he deserve such senseless abuse?

"Stay awake please!" The frantic squeal shocked his body into staying awake, just a few moments away from slipping into a coma like sleep.

Through his bleary sight, he could make out the mysterious kid scrambling over the fence with their hands full of clothing. Faint hope began to rise within his body, was it for him?

Watching as they jumped off and rolled in the snow, their feet pattering as they raced towards him.

"Can you sit up?" His energy was almost depleted, all of it spent on trying to conserve the remaining drops of warmth in his body. Sluggish movements meant that they had to reach over to him with a whispers of apologies as they helped to pull him upright.

"Why are you out here without a coat?" Their question was soft as they slipped the thick coat onto his arms, his body heating up quickly with it on. 

"M-my mother made m-me come out here w-without one." Brows furrowed as they helped him guide his fingers into the gloves supplied, that sounded horrible.

"Is that allowed? It seems mean." Moving from his upper body, they moved down towards his torso and stared.

"I brought you some trousers, but I'm not sure how to put them on you. Would you like to put them on yourself?" Despite himself, a heated blush coated his pale cheeks as he nodded furiously. But there was one problem, he couldn't out them on with the chain attached to his ankle.

"T-the chain." Oh right, that.

Quickly examining the chain, they realised that the links were incredibly old and rusty, one of them just a stone throw away from destroyed.

"Just a second." Grabbing a stone from the far end of the garden, they raced over and slammed it hard onto the metal, the deafening clang of metal upon rock echoing throughout the air.

The link shattered instantaneously upon impact, his leg partially freed with the shackle still remaining. 

They turned away to give him some privacy before he muttered a soft 'thank you', his eyes cast downwards as his mouth remained covered by the scarf. 

"You're welcome! But you should wear these, you look like you're the same size as me." Grabbing one of his feet, they slipped his frozen feet into a pair of trainers that fit perfectly; they really were the same size as him.

"My name's (y/n), and I'm 10 years old!" Their enthusiasm was clear in their peppy tone of voice, as though they were greeting an old friend.

Shock pulsed through his being, but he couldn't restrain himself from smiling back faintly, his body heat slowly returning to him.

"I-i'm Saeran. And I'm also t-ten." With a soft smile, they sat down on the flat rock, wiped dry and clear of any snow and patted the spot beide them, guesturing for him to sit.

"It was a good thing I came out, you would have gotten ill." Fiddling with gloved fingers, he nodded without a sound for their words were true and clear of any deceit.

"I'm always ill. M-my brother is much healthier than I am." Coughing harshly from the cold that had already engulfed his frail chest, he spoke his words in almost a whisper.

"Oh, that's not good at all. What's your brother's name?" 

"Saeyoung, and he's my twin brother. He's at church right now so he probably won't be back to a while. Mother lets him go outside because he's much stronger than I am." Their small hand rested gently atop his own, a warmhearted simper on their lips as they watched a single snowflake fall from the sky.

"When will you be allowed to go inside?" They knew that Saeran had to go inside sooner or later, the clothes gave him warmth but it was no where near enough to sustain him.

"I-i don't know. I think when h-he comes back." Stomach growling lowly, his face flushed a deep red from embarrassment.

"Are you hungry? I have some cookies that my dad baked." Reaching into one of their pockets, they pulled out a small tissue wrapped package, a total of four cookies hidden inside the thin paper confines. "You can have them. I have loads at home." 

Tentively reaching out for the rare treat, he nibbled softly on the gooey chocolate chip cookies, his heart warming as he devoured each crumb.

"My mum used to make them, but she's in her bed a lot now. Dad says she's going to get better, but I'm not sure. What are your parents like?" He paused in his eating, his eyes darting towards the crumbling house that was in front of them.

"M-my mother doesn't like us. She n-never bakes anything and she always drinks this horrible smelling drink and calls me weak." He took a deep breath, the frosty air gripping the back of his throat mercilessly. "I've never seen my father." 

"Oh," they breathed, slightly regretting asking about his family, "I don't think you're weak Saeran. I think you're really cool!" 

Blue hued lips curled upwards into a shy grin, his eyes closing as he did so.

"Thank you." 

"It's oka-" The pair were interrupted by a loud yell of their name.

"(y/n)? Where are you, darling? It's time to come inside." Standing up quickly with an apologetic glint in their bright hues, they pulled him hurriedly into a warm embrace and turned around to run to the fence.

"It was nice to meet you, Saeran! Tell Saeyoung I said hi! See you seen!" Before he could breathe another breath, they had climbed over and disappeared from sight - living behind nothing but the lingering memory of their heat encapsulating him.

"Yeah," he smiled, "see you soon."

 

The snow had melted after a long week of nothing but biting winds and sub zero temperatures. However, not once did they catch a glance at the redhead they had acquainted themselves with.

Currently, they were sat quietly in their room with a book, reading tales about princesses and princes fighting dragons and knights. The typical book a ten year old would read.

Their favourite spot was beside the spacious window, where they were sat next to. Through it they could clearly see the entire street, and they noticed quite recently that they could also see into the window of Saeran's house.

Sometimes they caught themselves gazing into it, only to snap out of their trance once their name was called.

Today though, their luck seemed to be very different. The blinds from the other window were slowly opened, a familiar face opening them, a flush of red coating his cheeks.

Opening their own window, they waved their hands furiously in an effort to attract his attention before finally managing to do so. His eyes widened briefly as he pulled his own window ajar.

"Hello, Saeran!" Their infectious enthusiasm made his own dry maws curl upwards into a smile. 

"Hi." He replied meekly, sneezing just seconds later with a sniffle.

"Oh, you did catch a cold," shaking their head with a subtle pout, they leaned enthusiastically out of the window, "how are you doing? Have you eaten?" 

"Not yet." Frowning yet again, they worried for their friend. It was a shame that they weren't close enough to his window to pass him any food.

"Brother, who are you talking to?" A small boy the same height as Saeran appeared in their view. His hair was messy and ruffled, glasses askew on his face as he breathed quietly through his mouth.

"Oo~ Hi, you must be Saeyoung!" Upon hearing his name, his head jerked quickly towards the source of the noise.

"Yeah, that's me. Are you (y/n)?" With a brow raised in questioning, his hands grasped the window sill tightly.

"Yep!" Saeyoung's smile was bright and radiant, happiness flowing through his entire being as he looked upon the person that had saved his dearest brother.

"Thank you for helping Saeran. I wasn't home so I couldn't help him." 

"It's okay, don't sorry about it." Saeran coughed, accidentally drawing attention back onto himself.

Frantically he tried to think of a subject that would divert their attention away from him.

"Your room is a nice colour." They turned around to scan their room and he internally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Really? It's my favourite colour." 

"Our room is just grey, we're not allowed to decorate it." They gasped suddenly, startling the two boys as they ran off into their room with just a single finger held up to signal that they would be a minute. 

A few moments later, they returned with a packet in their hands and a huge smile and glint in the eye to match.

"You can have these. They look just like stars in the night, you can't really see them in the day so you won't get caught. I already have some stuck on my ceiling and these are spare." The kindness shown to them was truly heartwarming, the subtle act was like a gold mine for the abused siblings.

They had never known such love and attention, so it was common sense that they were elated.

"But there's no way we can reach over and get it. We're not allowed outside either." Seeing their dejected faces, they shook their head frantically.

"You don't have to come out, just open your window as far as you can and step back. I'll throw it in." Saeran and Saeyoung exchanged a single skeptical glance before doing as instructed.

Almost as though it were magic, their aim was perfect as they shot the packet of glowing stars straight into the open window.

"Wow! You really managed to get it in!" Saeyoung's awe covered face made a flash of pride cross through their being, a prideful smirk on their face.

That smirk was quickly wiped off however as the twins looked back into their home quickly, both of their expressions showing nothing but pure and unadultered panic.

"I'm sorry. We have to go. We'll talk later, have a good day (y/n)." And with that, their blinds were once again drawn and the the only thing that served as a reminder to their conversation was their own open window.

None the less, the friendship lasted a long time. Despite the boys being locked away under a ruthless mother, they were unbelievably close.

So it was only natural that four years later, when nothing remained of them apart from sirens and the wide open window of the bedroom, they were devastated.

The mother was dead and the twins they called their own brothers were gone.


	19. Snow~ || Saeran x GN Reader x Saeyoung

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains spoilers.

They were so confused. 

Their feet hit the ground hard in rapid succession, the wind from their movements ruffling their hair as they ran through the building.

And what a weird building it was too. 

Everything was so dull and grey, the ceiling so very high up with steel doors that towered far above them in an imposing manner. 

But they ignored that, the aesthetics weren't what they were here for. V was in danger, and Seven wouldn't speak to them about anything. So they took matters into their own hands by tracking down V's cell signal (there was no way that they would be able to touch Seven's) and arriving at the mysterious place. 

The feeling in their gut was agonising, but not from exhaustion or over exertion. It was from something else that they couldn't quite pinpoint. 

"Fuck." The curse tumbled from their lips as they spotted a cloaked figure heading towards them, though it didn't seem like they had noticed them.

Sucking behind the wall, they waited with held breath for the figure to pass, and thankfully they did. 

Inhaling deeply, they set in a sprint again and ran for their life towards the big set of wrought iron doors, their instincts telling them to head into there as quickly as they could.

But just before they could open the door, their collar was grabbed roughly, almost choking them as they stumbled a few steps backwards.

Swinging, their tight fist was just a mere centimetres away from knocking the glasses off of Seven's face. 

"Ah, sorry. Thought someone was attacking me." Seven was not amused, his lips curled downwards in a way that reminded them eerily of their childhood friend, Saeyoung. 

No, they couldn't think about them right now. It was a hopeless quest to ever hope about seeing them both ever again.

"What are you doing here, MC? You shouldn't be here." They almost forgot about that name, MC. The alias adopted when their family had to move away a few years after the twins disappearance to help treat their now deceased mother. 

The only people that had ever called them by their name were Saeyoung and Saeran.

Shaking their head, they smiled sheepishly.

"I felt something off and decided to come." That was not the correct answer if the look on Seven's face was anything to go by.

"Come on, you need to go back. It's not safe here." Their brow raised challengingly, arms crossed over their chest.

"So? You're here, why don't you leave too? Besides, I can't just leave without seeing where V is." 

"V? How did you kn-" His words were interrupted by his fellow agent appearing next to him, a grimace on his face.

"Stop with the chatter and lets go." Vanderwood was agitated, and they couldn't blame him.

The door was thrown open, the loud and slow creak attracting the attention of everyone in the room. Rows of hooded figures stood behind a beautiful blonde woman who's presence screamed for respect. 

But all that respect dissolved instantly when they realised who exactly it was. 

Rika.

Seven seemed to also recognise the lady, his eyes widening as he muttered her name from disbelief. 

And it seemed that his almost inaudible mutter seemed to gain her attention, her smile radiant and entrancing as she began to slowly walk towards him, her hand outstretched invitingly.

"Ah, you're here. That's perfect." The soft melody of her voice was so soothing, like tinkling bells in the summer breeze. 

The hacker shifted beside them, Vanderwood looking rightfully uncomfortable.

"I've been waiting for you to come. You would be so valuable with me." Honey mixed with poison in a deadly yet sweet combination, their eyes glued to her outstretched palm.

"Saviour! What are you doing?" The sudden addition of a newer voice made everyone look up, their eyes glued to the source.

A male, who looked eerily like the redhead stood next to them, held his head tightly - his hand clenched with a fist full of his bleached white hair. 

"You said I could kill him!" Their eyes flickered to Rika, then to V who barely stood without the use of his cane. 

"You know how talented he is. He will help us achieve our goal much faster, do not be envious." 

Gazing at the interaction, their heartstrings were tugged strongly with nostalgia. Something about this situation reminded them strongly of their childhood. 

"B-but you said I could. Did you lie to me?" They couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards him, his gaze was erratic and he looked ready to cry.

"Enough, _Saeran_. Get the elixer, he needs to be sedated."

Saeran.

_**Saeran.** _

A gasp left their lips as they stared at the male in front of them, his hand now clutching a gun that was aimed spasmodically at anyone that moved.

But they didn't care for the danger they were putting themselves in. They had finally found him, even if he was only one of the two.

"Saeran. Oh my god, Saeran. Is that really you?" Their quiet words attracted Seven's attention, who was still shocked to the core with the new information. 

"I thought you were dead! F-fuck, do you know how scared I was? When I found out that she had committed suicide and that you and your brother were no where to be found?!" Their words increased in volume, but not from anger.

Saeran's hues darted towards them, his hands shaking as he struggled to keep his composure.

"You're okay. I'm so glad." Despite themselves, they found tears trickling down their cheeks as they took large steps towards him, barely recognising the danger they were putting themselves in. 

"Are you alright?" The gun slipped from between his fingers like grains of sand, his hands trembling as he gulped thickly.

Was it really them?

"(y-y/n)?" The nod they gave was all he needed, the droplets that and welled up in his eyes falling quickly as he collapsed into their arms.

"I-it's you? Really you?" 

"Really me, Saeran. I'm so glad I've found you." They could vaguely see Vanderwood rush towards Rika, the blonde pinned down within moments as they could almost hear the sound of sirens.

"Saeyoung. Do you know where Saeyoung is?" The grip he had became tighter, a rough growl coming from his throat as his head buried itself in their shoulder.

"He's-"

"Here." A hand rested on their head, head moving upwards to spot none other than Seven.

They were right, and had been all this time.

"Why didn't you tell me? Damn, it hurt so much. I really though you both had died, I-" Squeezing their eyes shut, they felt Saeran go limp in their arms, a warmth covering them from behind.

"I'm sorry. A lot has happened and we both never had a chance to say goodbye." Saeyoung's voice was quiet, his head on the opposite shoulder to Saeran; who was currently limp from loss of consciousness, courtesy of Vanderwood.

"You never told me either, MC." It was as though everything around the trio had muted itself, the sound of sirens barely there.

"I guess we're both in the wrong for that." Their right hand places itself on top of his own, their eyes closing as tears continued to slide down their face.

"I missed you both, so so much."

"I know." 

"I thought you were dead. They never even looked for you, deemed it a lost cause. Your mother was dead and no one would tell me anything." He stroked their hair soothingly, his own glasses beginning to mist up.

"Everything was so complicated, I really do regret not contacting you earlier. But you were so hard to track down." They laughed, one hand weaved with Saeyoung's fingers, and the other wrapped tightly around Saeran's waist.

"I did my own hiding after mum passed away. My dad's still back at home, I moved back in hopes of finding something. And I did." He smiled softly against their neck, his heart pounding with joy.

"I'm glad you moved back."

"I'm glad too. But you have some explaining to do, and don't you dare leave anything out." He nodded, not a trace of deceit in sight.

"God Seven's honour." 

"Stop it, Saeyoung. Let's all just get out here, I can't stand this place. And I want Saeran to get to the hospital as soon as possible." He nodded, standing up as he helped to support his brother, watching as they grasped V's hand to gently guide him out along with them all.

Even if they had spent so long apart, they could never be split apart. And Saeyoung knew that now that they were all together again, nothing would tear them apart. Be it others or themselves.


	20. Sunshine ~ || V x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major character death and spoilers.

'Please god, please please please.’ Her heart beat wildly, almost hard enough to come out of her chest.

She couldn’t believe anything around her, everything was so surreal. The surroundings were a blurr as she moved as fast as she could.

Not a single coherent thought ran through her head, all of them mashed together into one big mess. But one thing was clear.

That she had to find him.

“Fuck, why didn’t you just tell us, god damn it.” Curses tumbled from her mouth as she forced her legs to move quicker, her eyes darting over every nook and cranny to try and find him.

A large wooden door caught her attention, iron rivets covering the object in a taunting way, and she just knew that this was what she was looking for.

The loud crash of the door hitting the wall didn’t deter her at all, instead it only fuelled her rapid movements. Her palms were sweaty, barely able to hold onto the metal handles, and she stared at the scene in front of her.

“Oh my god.” The quiet utterance caught no one’s attention. 

Luciel was bleeding madly, his arm clutched to his chest as he cradled it, his partner at his side. She knew their name but she wasted no brain power in trying to remember it.

A flash of blue caught her eyes, and she ran despite it all; her aching legs, her burning throat and the tightening of her heart.

“Jihyun! Fucking get down!” Her voice made him pause.

And that move was fatal.

 

A loud and deafening BANG reverberated around the room, everyone’s movements stilling as the sound froze them to the spot.

No one could have done anything, the bullet was too fast to stop. No matter how much she wanted to take the bullet, it was too late.

Jihyun swayed from the momentum, a trickle of red staining his shirt before escalating into torrents of ruby substance.

His body crumpled, a hand over the wounded area, his fingers tainted in the gruesome colour.

“Oh shit. Oh my fucking god. Fuck, FUCK!” She was at his side in an instant, not caring at all that she was in the direct line of fire. The only thing she could see amidst her hazy vision was her best friend mortally hurt.

“V, Jihyun. Come on, come on. Hold on, Jumin’s coming with a team, you’ll be fine, just breathe. You’re fine, you’re fine. I promise.” Her speech was rushed as she collapsed at his side, his head weakly raised at the sound of her voice.

Her entire body trembled as she placed his head on her lap, her fingers stroking through his hair as she tried to comfort him despite her own imminent panic

“Stay with me. You’ll be fine, you’ll be in your bed in a few hours, with a hot chocolate. I-i’ll make sure of it, please.” Her voice shook, tears constricting her view further as they dripped onto her shirt.

“(y/n).” His voice was soft and strained, all energy drained as he fought for his life.

“Y-yeah?”

“D-don’t cry. You shouldn’t be crying over me. I’ll be doing the world a favour.” A horrified gasp passed her lips as she heard his speech, her head shaking frantically as salty droplets splattered on the floor beside her.

“What? Don’t say that! You can’t go. I need you! I want to show you so many things, you can’t go! You won’t!” The determination in her voice was enough to make anyone believe it to be true.

A soft smile graced his lips, his milky hues glancing up at the female, despite only seeing nothing but a messy image of a face.

“Trust me.”

“B-but-”

“Come now. I don’t want to see you frown. How,” a harsh cough wrecked his body, blood coming up and only terrifying her further, “how about you sing for me?”

The request was absurd, but she was willing to do anything.

“O-okay.” Clearing her choked up throat, she began to gently honour his wish.

“You are my sunshine. M-my only sunshine.” A new rush of tears surfaced, but she forced them down to continue, wishing for the ambulance to hurry.

“You make me happy.” His breathing was slowing down, and the blood flow seemed to not cease, a pool of crimson surrounding them both.

“When skies are grey.” Beautiful cyan hues were hidden as his eyes slowly closed.

“You’ll never know dear.” He tenderly squeezed her hand, a serene smile on his lips as his breathing shallowed.

“How much I love you.” The hold on her hand slowly went limp and she couldn’t stop the sobs forcing their way up as she forced herself to continue.

“Please don’t-” Words were barely audible over her cries, her body shaking as she clutched him like a life line.

“Take my sunshine away.” He whispered quietly, finishing for her as he drew his final breath


	21. Brownies~ || Yoosing x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mild spoilers for Zen's route.

Yoosung gazed out of his window. Not for looking out onto the scenery or anything, no in fact it was quite far from that.

He was instead looking at the hench looking men that guarded his home. Their mean looking faces, crossed arms and sunglasses made sure that no one dared approach them.

You would have have to have been insane to try and fight any of them.

"They must be hungry, standing outside for so long. Should I make them something?" He questioned himself as he squinted. 

Behind the burly men was stood a beautiful young girl. With the exact same uniform as her male counterparts, except she had a lazy smirk on her face that no doubt promised pain to anyone that crossed her.

"I guess I will." He was terrible with talking to girls, or anyone new for that matter. But he was determined to not let this oppertunity slip through his hands.

No less than an hour later, he was finished with all his baking. This time making sure everything was right and as aesthetically pleasing as he could manage (he even added the vanilla frosting and sprinkles.)

'Should I go to her first?' He noticed that there was atleast 6 bodyguards outside, all in a synchronised stance, her being the furthest away.

Thinking it to be more rational if he started from the first person; he slowly approached them, a sweatdrop sliding down his face from nerves. He couldn't help it, it wasn't his fault that they were all intimidating!

Approaching the first person with caution, he offered a lopsided grin to the muscley, sunglasses clad male.

"Urm, I made you guys some brownies to say thank you. Would you like one?" The man's head tilted downwards as he gazed at the fake blonde. 

"Really?" A broad grin encased the person's featured, rendering Yoosung speechless. He was not expecting that, at all.

"Y-yeah. I thought you would appreciate it." He held put the tray, as the guard pulled out something that looked like a metal stick. He waved it over the baked goods, there was a green light and he pocketed the item.

"So there's nothing there." Yoosung deadpanned.

'I guess they have to be cautious.' He couldn't exactly blame the man for doing that, only god knew what people could be putting in their food to lower their defenses.

Handing him a brownie, Yoosung smiled widely and moved onto the next person.

The brownies were quite large chunks, but he had saved a rather big corner for her, after all she was the reason he made them in the first place.

Steeling himself to stop himself from chickening out, he walked quietly towards her.

Sensing his presence, her head turned towards him, her inquisitive look hidden behind her shades.

"H-hi. Would you like a brownie?" He cursed himself for stuttering, his breath being further knocked from his chest as she slipped off her glasses.

Her eyes were so bright and so beautiful, he would have lost himself in the radiant colour had she not spoken and roused him from his awe.

"Oh, hi. What for?" She guestured to the tray in his hands and he looked down.

"To thank you for taking your time to come and protect me." She smiled brightly, her hand running through her hair.

"Hm? You haven't put anything in right?" Her smile disappeared and it was replaced by a disapproving and stern frown.

"H-huh? Of course not!" He protested as the scowl melted away, creating way for a cheeky grin and contagious laughter.

"I was only messing, don't worry." He handed her the piece he had saved especially, and watched with lip biting anticipation for her reaction.

She took a small bite, and squealed, startling him.

"Oh my god! This is bloody amazing!" Swallowing, she beamed at him.

"Are you a chef?" His cheeks dusted slightly red from the compliment, looking away bashfully.

"Thank you, but I'm nowhere near a chef's level." She waved her hand at her modesty, breaking off a piece and holding it to his mouth.

"Come on, try it. You'll see what I mean." His face turned bright red, but he opened his mouth and allowed her to place it into his mouth.

As he chewed, he swore he heard her mutter a small 'cute' under her breath as she took another bite.

"See!" 

He shrugged, fighting off the heat on his face.

"I could have made it better." 

"So modest. You could well be a world class baker. Say, what's your name?" Her head tilted, her left brow raising as she looked at male who was around about the same height.

"Yoosung, how about you?" Her eyebrows wiggled as she smirked widely.

"Oo, bold aren't you?" She added with a wink, making his blush return full force.

"My name is (y/n), nice to meet you." He couldn't help but smile back, her enthusiasm was infectious. A direct contrast to the cold front she put up when he had seen her through his window.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" 

"Sure, go ahead." She chewed her lip, wondering whether she should ask, before ultimately deciding to go ahead with it.

"Do you know why boss stationed us here? I got the basic details of someone being shady, but nothing in depth. If you can't tell me I understand." She softly licked her lips, getting rid of the crumbs that had gathered on them.

"There's been a hacker infiltration in our group, it's just security measures." She hummed while nodding, now understanding why she was there.

"Ah ok." Taking another pause, she looked him up and down, causing him to fidget.

"Has there been two assigned agents that will accompany you when you go to college?" He blinked, a confused look present on his visage.

"You know I go to college?"

"Provided information." He let out a small 'ah' before shaking his head, blonde locks moving around.

"Not that I know of." She looked deep in thought for a moment before shaking herself out of it.

"How long do you go for?"

"Five days a week from 10." He answered obediently, amusing her slightly with his eagerness.

"Oh yikes, I could never do that. You must be doing a tough major, kudos to you." He shyly accepted the compliment, his fingers tracing the smooth underside of the tray.

"Isn't university just as hard?" Her brows furrowed as she looked at him bewildered.

"Uni?"

He immediately became flustered, apologies tumbling from his mouth, causing her to laugh and put her hands up.

"It's fine honestly. What made you think I was in Uni?" She wasn't offended, just curious as to what made him think that.

"It's just, I thought you had to be older to join this group." He couldn't look at her, embarrassment washing over his entire being.

"Oh no. I'm in college too. I'm only 19, there was an advert in the paper for it so I applied and got in. It pays well." She poked his hand that was covering his face, making him peek through the cracks of his fingers.

"What are you majoring in?" 

"Medicine." He was genuinely happy that soneone actually cared about his life and interests, not even the RFA knew what he was majoring in.

"That's awesome! I-" She was cut off by a gruff and domineering voice barking at her.

"You're not getting paid to stand around and flirt! Get back to work!" Her face morphed into an expression of displeasure as she yelled back.

"I am getting paid to stand around actually!" She turned to Yoosung with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry. It was nice talking to you!" She reached into her pocket and put a small folded piece of paper on his tray before waving him goodbye.

He gave it a questioning look as he walked away, wondering what it was before his curiosity got the best of him and he took the paper.

Opening it up, he found the words "Call me later, cutie" followed by her number.

Feeling the bright red hue return, he buried his face in his hands like an embarrased school girl while a huge overjoyed simper settled itself on his lips.

He was really happy that he decided to make those brownies.


	22. Jailtime~ || Vanderwood x Fem Reader

Now, it was only natural for agents to get into frequent trouble. You know, with their jobs being incredibly dangerous and stuff. But what the fuck?

How could she have been so stupid? She had not the foggiest idea. Not even as she was being shoved forcefully into the back of the police car did she realise what she had done wrong. 

What the fuck was she supposed to do? Stand around and get stabbed? Over her boss’ dead fucking body she would.

The only thing she regretted was getting caught.

And so with a heavy sigh, she kept quiet and prayed that her mask was doing it’s job and concealing her identity. There wasn’t too much at stake, she could count on a certain ‘British’ agent to come and bust her out if she failed to do so herself.

 

“This girl is a pain in the fucking arse.” Vanderwood’s lips curled in from disgust and irritation, his eye twitching as he watched the real time feed.

He hadn’t seen the entire fight, but he knew that some pussy had called the police after seeing the two spar (and most likely someone die). Normally he wouldn’t have cared, but he was basically her carer. A job worse then baby sitting the childish hacker; who’s house he was currently moping in.

A headache was already coming on and he could only curse the agency for pairing him up with such idiots all the time. What had he done in his past lives to deserve such ghastly punishments? 

Oh wait. 

A lot probably.

Sighing bitterly, he stood up and ignored the vile sound of the chair scraping against the recently polished floor. The sound caught the attention of the neet he was coddling, causing him to turn around.

“Miss? Is something the matter?” The brunette couldn’t help the narrowing of his brown hues as he stared Luciel down.

“The only thing the matter is you not finishing your work. Hurry up.” A highly exaggerated gasp sent his eyes rolling.

“But Miss! If I type any quicker, my fingers will be sure to drop off!” He really was not in the mood to deal with his nonsense, the familiar buzz of the tazer causing the red head to jump speedily back to his work.

“Always so mean. Maybe you should do something other than threatening to hurt me." 

"I wouldn’t have to threaten you if you did your damn job.” Vanderwood’s eyes once again shifted back towards the open laptop, the police car gone from the scene and now replaced with paramedics.

'What an idiot.’ He had half a mind to just leave her to rot, but he knew he would be in for a royal bollocking if he did that. So it was either risk his arse to get her out, or risk his job and life. Neither was really the best option.

Making up his mind, he settled to the first option. 

“I’m leaving. Don’t you dare slack off." 

"Alright, bye Ma'am!" 

With a flourish of his jacket, Vanderwood left the bunker and began his journey towards the police station.

 

Standing infront of the old worn down building. he could tell that getting in would be easy. Well, anything was easy for him. Arms crossed, he took his time to plan his entrance and escape route. 

Even if she had been arrested, he knew that there was no way they knew who she actually was. If there was one thing she was good at, it was hiding things or information. 

He could just imagine her shit eating grin as she plotted away. She was an amazing agent, he would admit, but she was damn annoying. 

Keeping out of the camera’s sight zone, he stalked his way across the yard and disabled the tech. There only seemed to be one camera outside, so that was done. 

Now, to get inside.

Night was already falling quickly, the days becoming shorter as it neared the end of the year. He couldn’t say that he liked the winter, but it did hold a special place in his heart. It was the time when he’d met her after all.

The police officers that had previously been on shift had left, allowing Vanderwood some leeway. Jumping straight onto the roof, he made sure to stay close to the ceiling, careful not to be spotted. He began to approach the small hatch at the top, when he heard clattering coming from beneath his feet.

"What the he-” The hatch was removed, and a glint of (h/c) made him pause in the middle of his blasphemous speech.

He watched with a deadpan expression as the female he was planning on escorting out, crawled through the tiny opening.

She didn’t seem to notice his looming figure until she was at least halfway out, her bright iris’ snapping up to meet his.

“Oo~ Sup, mardy.” Giving him a 'what’s up’ head nod, she wriggled out of the opening quickly and pushed the hatch back into place with her foot.

“…I wasted my time.” Turning around, he began to stride away, preparing to get back onto the ground.

“Aww, you’re so rude. I know you came because you were worried.” He stopped dead in his tracks and she couldn’t help the smug grin that then appeared on her face.

“Where did you get that stupid idea from? What would I gain from worrying? Especially over someone as brain dead as you.” Even if he didn’t see her face, he knew she was pouting.

“Don’t be like that. I would worry for you.” Walking quickly to his side, she proceeded to jump down and land on her feet.

“I don’t need your concern.” The tsundere manner he spoke in never failed to amuse her, especially since she could see straight through it.

“Ah c'mon Starkie. You know that’s not true. It’s always nice to know that someone gives a shit about you. No use in denying it.” Oh how badly he wished to just ductape her mouth shut. But instead he bared her chatter with gritted teeth.

“Just shut up for a while will you? You’re almost as bad as that idiot I have to look after.” Her arm hooked through his as she leaned into his side, ignoring his every exaggerated grunt.

“That idiot at least has a sense of humour. Unlike you, Mr Grumpy.” There was no response, allowing her to silently revel in her triumph as he walked them both towards the car.

“Hey?” The cheeky simper on her face never died down, and he found it so incredibly infuriating, but he found himself not wanting it to ever disappear.

“What?” He hissed, tired from everyone’s bullshit.

There was a pregnant pause, one where the only sounds were the crunch of the gravel under their shoes and the whoosh of the wind.

“I love you." 

Another silence fell as he tried to figure out a response.

"You know agents can’t love. Relationship’s don’t ever last with our line of work.” His words were cruel, yet her her heart do not falter.

“I know. But that won’t stop me. I love you. I really do.” He felt her lean further into her arm, the heat from her body spreading throughout his own. Her whispers left only a lingering feeling in the air, the ache of longing in his heart as he spoke his next words.

“I wish I could say the same.”


	23. Mission~ || Saeyoung x Child GN Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains mentioning of child abuse and neglect. Bold is an language you wish, but I intended for it to be Arabic.

"Crap!" Luciel bit his lip, almost drawing blood as he slowly walked around the man infront of him. 

Guns were poised, both men ready to pull the trigger at a seconds notice. His glasses glinted eerily, the thin strip of sun light filtering in through the prison like bars.

How did he get in this situation? That in itself was a long story, but he was currently playing a dangerous game of tango with the male. One wrong move and his brains would be blown out.

'What the hell do I do?' He was mainly a hacker, but sometimes his agency required him to go out into the front lines, the place where there was the most danger.

His amber eyes scanned his opponent, looking for a weak spot to strike the offender in.

'Come on, come on.' He was internally cursing Vanderwood for taking so long, the brunette was usually quick and precise, but something must have been holding him up.

Luciel really didn't want to cause a loss of life, but seconds were ticking away and this was the last person in the way.

'Damn it.' There was the sound of a gun clicking and he threw himself to the ground, knowing that it wasn't his.

His hands shielded his head as he heard the sound of someone gurgling and choking on their own blood. He would have gagged if he wasn't so used to the sound.

"Get up." Cracking open one eye, he noticed that the taser loving fanatic was standing above him.

"Come on, what the hell you waiting for?" He tsked, urging Saeyoung to get up as fast as he could. Vanderwood was a very scary person when he wanted to be despite the fact that he was basically a maid for Luciel.

"Alright alright." Dusting off his clothes he stretched and sheathed his gun.

"You're too much of a scardy cat, you could have shot him." The redhead shot him a glare, slightly insulted by his fellow agents words.

"So what? I don't want to kill someone."

Vanderwood scoffed, "that's where you and I differ." 

"What took you so long? Cleaning the place up?" Luciel joked, immediately shuffling away once he saw him reach into his pocket.

"Shut the hell up. We found a hidden corridor and some rooms that were locked." He pulled out a cigarette and lit it up, taking a deep drag as he paused his speech.

"We managed to unlock the door, and found some things." The hacker looked at Vanderwood in bewilderment, and also slight interest.

"Like what?" 

"Why don't you check it out for yourself?" He guestured towards the few opened doors that Luciel failed to notice, too immersed in his own thoughts to realise they had walked to the secret corridor that he was talking about.

His hand reached for the doorknob, inside he could hear a bunch of voices and some sobbing.

Yanking it open, he took in the sight.

There was girls of varying ages milling about, some sat on the dirty soot covered floor with a broken look on their faces, while others sobbed with blankets draped over their thin and frail bodies.

"Ontop of dealing illegal drugs and running a drug ring, it seems like they were sex trafficking too." Vanderwood said as he walked beside him, the latter being shocked into silence.

"There was a few young boys, but they were evacuated earlier. Not all of the boys on the files we discovered were found though." Vanderwood added, Luciel already understood the implications. They were most likely sold off, dead or lost.

"These bastards deserve to burn in hell." He scorned, taking gentle steps towards the other agents who were hurridly trying to cover up the females.

Most of them seemed to understand Korean, but there was a few that looked foreign and could only have been brought from over seas. 

His eyes darted to a female comrade trying to talk to a young south east asian looking girl. They were having a hard time talking, but the girl seemed to know English. 

'They all look over 18. That's good.' There was nothing really good about the situation, but if they were legal then they would be able to be put back on track easier then someone underage.

He carried on walking, heading towards the end of the small cramped room. How they stuffed 20 people in here was a mystery.

Suddenly he felt a small tugging on his trouser leg, prompting him to look down at what caused it.

There, standing at his feet was a small child with watery eyes and a desperate expression.

" **Mr?"** " The speech of the child startled him.

"Huh?" The grip they had on his trouser was lessened and they moved back, clutching their crappy excuse of a shirt.

"" **Don't you understand me either?"** " Their expression turned to one of disappointment and sadness, making Luciel shake his head and kneel down.

" **No, I understand you."** " They let out a deep sigh and their shoulders slumped from relief.

"" **D-do you know where I am? I only remember my parents being taken away and everything was black. I woke up here."** " They obviously weren't Korean, and they didn't seem to be aware of anything around them.

'They kidnapped children. Fucking monsters.' 

"" **You're in South Korea. Don't worry, you're safe."** " He offered a gentle smile to try and put them at ease, it seemed to work as they relaxed visibly and gave back a small crooked smile.

" **What's your name?** " The quicker he found out who they were, the quicker he could return them to their parents.

" **My name is (y/n) (l/n)** " The kid smiled as he nodded.

"That's a start." He murmured to himself.

" **Oh ok. We'll try and find them, do you want to come with me?** " Suddenly they were incredibly timid, shying away from his hands and stumbling backwards.

" **D-don't touch me please.** " They whimpered and his heart ached, he didn't even want to imagine what had been done to them.

" **I won't hurt you, I promise. You can walk with me if you like.** " They took a couple of steps forwards, but then teetered dangerously. He had only just managed to catch them.

They began to wriggle, trying to escape his hold.

" **Hey hey, look I'm not doing anything."** " They stopped and looked at him, before gazing at his hands that were just holding them securely.

"" **O-oh, okay.** " He picked them gently up and put them on his back, they were extremely light weight so he didn't have to use much force.

" **You okay up there?** " They let out a muffled hum and he took it as a yes.

'Now to get out of this hell hole and find their parents.' He quickly told the others of his departure, taking the child's details, they let him go.

 

"What the hell…?" He had been researching for hours now, trying to find anything on their parents. But what he had found wasn't the best thing to read.

His glasses reflected the horrific words written in the form of a news article.

'Two people left murdered and mutilated within a hundred meters of their home. 

The victims were left unnamed, but recognising them had been tough, their faces burned and cut beyond recognition. They're said to have a child, who had gone missing around the same time they were murdered. There has been no sign of the child.

Their name is (y/n) (l/n).

It was said that the couple were involved in a drug ring, and were killed for unknown reasons. Police investigations are still ongoing.' 

His breath hitched in his throat, they weren't even from Korea. Their parent's were murdered and it seemed like they had no close relatives. The only option for them would be being sent back and put into an orphanage.

"What am I supposed to do?" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down to try and deal with the situation with a level head.

" **Mr?** " The small voice roused him from his thoughts.

" **Yeah?** " He had found some small clothes from his drawers and had them wear it. They thankfully knew how to wash themselves, and they did so competently.

" **What's wrong?** " He stared at them for a few moments before exhaling shakily.

" **I'm looking for a good home for you to go to.** " He forced a playful grin on his face, he didn't want them to find out what had happened.

" **Can't I go to mama and papa?** " Their innocence made him want to go back to the bastards that ruined their family and kill them, despite his personal policy of no murder.

" **Your parents are somewhere else, I'll make sure you get a place that's good.** " They nodded before tilting their head and looking at him.

He was getting a little unnerved by their unblinking stare, their big eyes boring into his soul.

" **What's the matter?** " 

" **Can't I stay with you?** " He blinked, taking a second to register what they had said before spluttering.

"Huh?! I-i…" He stopped himself, looking at them to the computer then back again.

" **I'm not good with little people.** " He ruffled their hair, making them giggle lightly.

" **You deserve a better home. I'm not the best person.** " He didn't even know whether they had a passport for him to take them back. And since he didn't have their birth certificate, he was at a loss.

" **But you gave me food, unlike those mean people.** " He had to chuckle at that statement, everyone loved food. How was a child any different? 

" **I'm sorry, but I can't.** " They turned away, small sniffles coming from their tiny body. Their hands lifted to their eyes, trying to wipe away their tears.

" **Don't cry.** " He tried to reach out but they jerked away and ran.

He ran a hand through his hair, muttering curses as he got up to search for them. He had found out that they were very good at squishing themselves into tiny corners.

How could he look after a child? He was basically one himself. Qualified was not a word in his vocabulary. He wouldn't know how to look after another human being when he was so consumed with work and responsibilities.

There was so much to consider when adopting or fostering a child, and it wasn't something he thought he should do.

Also not forgetting the fact that he didn't have an amazing childhood himself. He had no clue how to give care when he never had any from either parent.

"Please (y/n). You will find someone, I'll even find your birth certificate so I can take you back home. Don't make this hard." His voice cracked slightly from the pressure he was under. 

He didn't even understand himself why he was getting so emotional, maybe it was because they were so naive and pure. They had everything ripped away from them, much like he had, and was now going into somewhere totally alone.

'God. No wonder.' He almost laughed at his own stupidity, he was growing attached despite only knowing them for a few days.

He needed to snuff it out, and fast.

" **Alright, you can stay with me.** " He felt horrible lying to them, but it was for their own good.

" **Really?** " They sniffed and their head appeared from under a cupboard.

" **Yes really! We'll go out now and get you some things.** " They jumped out, but their eyes narrowed suspiciously.

" **No lie?** " He shook his head with a clenched jaw.

" **No lie.** "

He had found their birth certificate after hacking into the medical files and searching them up, and had printed them out. All that was left was to take them to an orphanage.

After getting them seated in his car, he took a deep breath and began driving to the closest one.

 

All the way through the ride, they were quietly watching the scenery, making no fuss or noise. He looked at them only once, their eyes met and he turned away at the speed of light, the lump in his throat getting larger.

" **We're here!** " Unbuckling them from the seat, he held their hand. Their small hand barely wrapping around his index finger.

The more steps he took, the more guilt he felt piling up on his shoulders.

He entered the building and the brightness of the colours hurt his eyes as soon as he did. Ignoring the blinding walls, he walked upto the desk and began talking to the receptionist.

She seemed nice enough, and the place looked good. But something about it was just off.

He and the lady shook hands before he turned around, trying his hardest to ignore their screams and wails for him to come back.

"Shit." Without looking back, he headed into his car and drove away, the pain flaring in his heart as he watched the building shrink from the side mirror.

 

He sat at his desk, headphones on and blaring music that drowned out his thoughts. Or atleast attempted to.

He missed having their small voice giggling at small things that he didn't even notice, their eyes lighting up each time he gave them some food. And just that he could converse with someone apart from himself and the RFA.

They had made him forget for that short period of time what it was like to be alone and depressed.

Vanderwood had even noticed, the male had come into his house to give him more work and check up on him when he had found that all of the assignments were done and that Luciel was just staring at the sceeen.

"Get yourself together." The smoker had hissed rather unhelpfully, before cleaning up and leaving the house.

He grunted, sluggishly getting up and using his hands to move the piles of crisp packets and fizzy drink cans that had accumulated.

"I'm a mess." After a day of becoming a hermit, he had finally admitted it,

"How the hell did one kid do this to me?" The child was only 7, they shouldn't have had as big of an impact as they did.

Glancing at his buzzing phone, he picked it up and read the messages.

Yoosung★: Ugh, I have a head ache

Jaehee: I assume it's from the amount of time you stare at your computer screen.

Yoosung★: ;;;

Yoosung★: You're beginning to sound like my mum.

Jaehee: Do not act like a child and I wouldn't have to act like a mother.

He almost threw his phone down, even when trying to escape, he couldn't.

"Maybe I should adopt them." He sat back down and pondered, did he really want to bring up an orphan and spent his time looking after them.

The answer was yes, if he got contentment and love out of it, he would happily go to the end of the world and back.

"Damn it (y/n)." He typed out a single message of 'You're all going to be aunts and uncles!', before exiting and ignoring the uproar in the chat.

 

The papers were signed and ready, and everything was in check. (He may or may not have hacked into the people's registry and made sure he seemed decent.) He was just now waiting for them to appear.

The first thing he was expecting was anger, who wouldn't be angry? Finding escape only to have it dragged away from you. But instead, their stoic face broke out into a huge smile and they ran into his arms with full force, almost sending him barreling backwards.

" **You came back!** " They cried happy tears into his shirt as he gently rubbed their back and hugged them close.

" **Yeah, I did.** "


	24. Mission~ 2 || Saeyoung x Child GN Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains spoilers and slight mentions of abuse

Three years had passed since they were adopted into the care of Luciel Choi, and they were the best three years ever.

They had gone to school and learnt how to speak, read and write fluent korean and English, becoming trilingual. Sure it didn’t hold a candle to Luciel, but it was still an amazing achievement.

“Pa!” They raced upto their now legal guardian and gave him a hug, making a face at the kids behind them who hadn’t believed that Luciel owned a Ferarri.

‘Proved them wrong.’ They thought with a smile as the kids turning away in embarrassment.

“Hey my little Honey Buddha Chip.” He twirled them around and put them down, ruffling their messy wind blown hair.

“What did you do today?” He asked, holding their hand as they walked together back to the car.

They made a humming sound, signalling that they were thinking, before speaking.

“Urm, well we did some maths, how to find the perimeter of things and also some writing.” He could tell that they weren’t particularly fond of the subjects, but as long as they tried their hardest he didn’t mind.

“That’s good kiddo. You can grow up all big and smart.”

They stopped and he looked at them with a raised brow, silently asking why they had decided to pause.

“I want to be like you! You’re kind and smart and cuddly!” He laughed out loud as they listed things about him, finding it cute how they thought he was cuddly.

“Aw thanks.” They grinned so wide that he almost worried that their face would split, before they began running into the car.

 

The car ride home was quick and uneventful. They were always quiet during car rides, since all they liked doing was looking out of the window and sigh at all the nature that flew past them. 

The good thing was (according to Yoosung) that having them around meant that Saeyoung had to slow down, or risk them getting injury.

They pulled up in the garage and they jumped out, running to the front foor. Luciel had finally installed a retina scanner, saving everyone a ton of time. They stood infront of the door, and it opened, allowing them to head inside.

“I’m going to change.” Luciel nodded and shut the door, making sure to lock it once again.

“Dinner is on the table.” He hadn’t changed his own eating habits at all, but since he now had a kid to feed, he refused to let them live on Honey Buddha Chips and Dr.Pepper.

What he didn’t know was that the only reason they didn’t drink Dr.Pepper was because they thought it tasted like arse.

“Okay!” They skipped to their own room to change while Luciel went inro his little den.

He plopped down into his chair and stared at the screen that he had pulled up. There was co-ordinates for the building of Mint eye. The base of the hacker who had threatened to RFA.

There had been a young female that had entered the chatroom by suspicious means, but she immediately and profusely declined joining the organisation. Luciel had let her go, saying that she had no bad background and that she wouldn’t be able to tell a soul.

And that same night there had been an attack on the servers. The firewall was only partly breached, unimportant information like the logo and such were released but nothing major.

Or so he hoped.

He had yet to find out all the damage, and the hacker had threatened again, shutting down the camera for the apartment and looping some feed.

So he tracked down the IP address and managed to locate their headquarters. He was going out today to try and see what they wanted, but for security reasons he was going to take Vanderwood.

He knew the agency would come after him for this blatant breach of contract, but he needed answers.

The door opened and in came his adopted child. He smiled heartily at them as they looked at him with love shining in their eyes.

He never once regretted his choice of bringing them into his care, sure once or twice he wondered why he did it. But it was always snuffed out by the sheer adoration they showed towards him.

They were also very easy to look after, they did as they were asked to do and didn’t interfere with his work, just a few inquisitive questions here and there about what he was up to.

“What are you doing, Pa?” They had also chosen to call him Pa, disregarding the multiple times that he had told them to call him Seven.

“Nothing much. Just some work.” They took the answer and sat down on his bed, their legs swinging on the side.

“Do you mind staying here with Uncle Yoosung while I go out for a while?” They shook their head.

“Nope, I don’t mind. But what are you going?” That was the one question he had hoped that they wouldn’t ask.

“I need to do something for work, I’ll be back, don’t worry.” He took comfort in their warm personality and smile, knowing that they wouldn’t judge him.

They fell back onto his bed and giggled, their body bouncing on the mattress.

“Be careful.”

“I will.”

      
They weren’t stupid, in fact they were incredibly bright for a 10 year old. They had noticed that the light was missing from his eyes when he spoke, he was lying and they knew it.

About what was the question. And they were determined to find out.

They had heard Luciel head for the bathroom do for shower, and they knew it wouldn’t be out for around another 15 minutes. This was the perfect chance.

Deep down the knew that they shouldn’t have been snooping, but something was making him unhappy. And they wouldn’t stand for it.

Looking around, the coast was clear so they scurried into the room and sat on the chair.

The computer was thankfully just in sleep mode, so all they had to do was shake the mouse.

‘Hurry up.’ Adrenaline coursed through their veins as they read the details on Mint Eye.

“This is the person who sent that girl into the chatroom.” They weren’t thick, they knew what had happened and almost every detail, just not who had sent them.

Satisfied with their knowledge, they put the computer back into sleep mode and went back to the living room.

Curling up on the coach, they watched the big TV screen but their mind was else where.

'So Pa is going to go there and talk to that man? I don’t feel good about that.’ Luciel ha told them to always follow their gut instinct, and that’s what they were going to do.

The hacker came out of the bathroom, his hair dripping with small beads of water as he rubbed at it with a towel. He spotted them sitting on the sofa with a blank look, and walked over.

“Whatcha doing?” He shook his head childishly, water droplets falling onto their body as they squealed.

“Hey!” He chuckled at the annoyance, their hand busy wiping the moisture off their face as they sent a half hearted glare to him.

“Nothing. I’m just thinking.”

“About what?” He squinted slightly at them, he hadn’t yet put on his glasses.

“About urm,” They paused, eyes swiveling around, “I don’t want you to go.”

He immediately frowned, concern in his honey hues.

“Why not, Chiki?” The nickname would have urged a smile on their face any other time, but right now their stomach was twisting uncomfortablly.

“I don’t have a good feeling about it. Can’t you stay, please?” They pleaded with big doey eyes, he felt his heart drop but he refused.

“I’m sorry. I can’t, it’s really important. If I don’t you might not be safe.” He slowly crawled over to them, opening up his arms, they lifted their head slowly and went into his arms, their hands going as far around his waist as they could as he covered them protectively.

“Trust me Chiki, I will be safe, God Seven won’t go out so easily.”

“Then I pray to God Seven that Pa will stay safe.” He ran his fingers through the hair, their eyes closed.

But no, they weren’t tired. In fact, they we’re anything but. Instead, they were concocting a plan in their tiny little head on how they could stow away, determined to find out who this threatening hacker was.

 

The time came for Luciel to leave, Yoosung had been called over told to look after them. He had come over, they were easy to look after and he needed a break from studying.

“Bye (y/n)!” Luciel said as he waved, they waved back and turned to their baby sitter for the night.

“Uncle Goldie, can we play hide and seek?” They tilted their head and made their eyes as big and as round as they could, knowing it would add to the cuteness factor.

“Sure. I’ll count, okay?” They nodded vigorously in agreement, before scampering off as he began to count.

They had left a note in a rather hard hiding place saying that they had left, and hopefully by the time he had found the note, they would be long gone.

Grabbing a stray chocolate bar for a snack, they ran out the back door and ran towards the front gate, managing to clamber over it.

The garage door was open, giving them a free entry, now all that they needed to do was get into the boot undetected and they would be home free.

Vanderwood was blocking the rear of the vehicle, and they almost wanted to chuck a shoe at the back of the brunette’s head to get him to move.

So that’s what they did, minus the shoe. Finding a decent sized pebble with no sharp edges, they aimed their throw with a lolling tounge and threw.

The pebble him dead on behind his head and he let out a yelp of pain and clutched his head with a hiss, amusing them to no end as they heard the sound.

“What the fuck was that?” Vanderwood moved away, looking around for the culprit, with them internally chanting for him to move further away.

'Go, go, go!’ Seeing an opportunity, they bolted towards the open boot, Luciel must have been putting in his weapons and equipment.

Their feet made no sound as it hit the tiled floor, they had learnt to be light on their feet, something they’d leant from Luciel and one of his 'how to be very very smart 101’ lessons.

They clambered in, heart racing as they risked being caught for the few seconds that they were dangling from the car.

Finally managing to stuff themselves inside, they curled up into the tightest ball they could manage, limbs crushed together as they shyed away from the light.

“There’s nothing there. Stupid as hell.” Vanderwood’s muttering got louder until it was right infront of them, if he had looked in closely he would have seen the escapist child, but he didn’t and instead the boot was shut with a loud thud.

“Gosh.” They breathed a sigh of relief, their limbs loosening as the voice headed back towards the front of the car.

“Let’s go.” Luciel spoke, making them sigh at his voice.

“You know the agency will be after you for this, right?”

She could almost imagine the way his eyes would have rolled to face his partner.

“I know, yes.”

“And you’re still going ahead? You really are insane.” There was no extra comment, just the movement of the vehicle as they climbed in and the gentle roar of the engines to signal that they had begun driving.

 

The drive was long, and they were wondering what Yoosung was up to.

'Probably panicking.’ They couldn’t help but let out a small giggle at the mental image of Yoosung screaming for them. It was sadistic, but it was just fun to prank him. He was just too gullible.

The car finally rolled to a stop and the sound of car doors opening caught their attention. Shuffling backwards into the darkest corners, they were practically on the back seat as the boot opened.

Luciel was there with a hard expression on his face, his eyebrows drawn together, lips in a sharp line and eyes steely. This mission really meant alot to him.

His hands grabbed a few guns, before shutting the boot again.

Releasing the held breath, they listened to their footsteps fading away before pulling the boot release and getting out, shutting the back straight afterwards.

'I can’t lose them or I’ll be lost.’ Running after the dull tap of Luciel and Vanderwoods steps, they kept a safe distance behind and observed everything that began to play out.

First there was a small blonde woman, her looks were beautiful. Sharp features with a soft smile and gorgeous jade green eyes that gazed straight into one’s soul.

Her white robe billowed behind her, rows upon rows of veiled people stood behind her, like they were worshiping her existence.

Beside her there was a male that looked like their guardian. If not for the shock of white hair, mint contacts and largely contrasting outfits, there would have been no doubt they would have mistaken him for Luciel.

They creeped behind a door, looking at the scene that was beginning to unfold.

“Bring Luciel here.” She ordered, her underlings running to complete her demand like brainwashed little puppies.

“What?! B-but Saviour You said I could get rid of him!” The edgy looking man stated at her desperately, his hand clutching his hair in fistfuls.

“He is valuable and will be an asset to Magenta.” She dismissed his look of betrayal with a wave of her hand like he was chopped liver.

“Saviour please!” He begged and the Lady turned around, a fire in her eyes as she spoke with a soft, yet harsh, incriminating tone.

“You will drop this at once Saeran. He is staying.” Luciel’s eyes danced back and forth between the two, his hand clutched to him tightly.

“You can’t do that!” His eyes were wild, the dismay crystal clear.

“Get him. He needs to be dosed up, he seems to be acting up.” She smiled, the facial expression sending shivers down their spine.

But beneath that smile lay a manipulative abuser. They say looks deceived and this woman was a prime example.

If the way that she managed to send the male named 'Saeran’ was anything to go by, anyone would be able to tell that she was mentally unstable.

“Stop this Rika. Please, you do not know what you are d-”

“SILENCE!” She yelled, cutting off V who had finally brought himself to speak up.

“You are a traitor. You’re deceitful scum.” They could tell the gentle bluenette was wincing at the harsh words. V was anything but deceitful, he was kind and so beautiful.

They didn’t speak very often, since he only usually came to speak to Luciel, but he would always give them a big smile and a hug, offering them some candy which they always declined. How anyone could call him such nasty things was beyond them.

“Don’t come any closer.” Saeran warned, his hand slipping into his belt and tugging out his gun as his feral eyes jerked around.

“Saeran, put that down.” The woman identified as Rika spoke, her voice now low as she tried to talk him into doing as she wished.

“NO!” He screamed and pointed his gun at people wildly, his hands shaking wildly as his confused cyan hues tried to find validation.

Everyone stopped moving, but V accidentally stumbled and made himself the target.

They watched his finger attach itself to the trigger, the safety was off and the metal contraption was aimed straight for V’s heart.

“No!” Hiding be damned, they really liked V and as if they would just stand around and watch him potentially die instead of trying to save him.

The gun waved wildly as he forced his hand to still.

“Mr! Don’t pull it, please!” They begged running over and pulling on his trouser leg, trying to distract him.

“Hey! What are you doing h-” Vanderwood’s mouth was forced shut when Saeran’s dead eyes met his for a split second, the small death machine in his hold threatening to turn his way.

“(y/n)! Why the hell are you here?! Get away from there!” Luciel cried, absolutely hysterical and unable to comprehend anything.

The gun was pointed at their forehead, but they would not allow themselves to show any cowardice. Steeling all the nerves their young body contained, they took in a shakey breath and looked him dead in the eye.

“Put the gun down please M-mr Saeran.” Saeran’s eyes narrowed, the hold on his gun not loosening as he stared at the child that dared interfere. He had to say he was quite shocked at the gall this kid had.

“And why would I do that?” It was more of a rhetorical question then one that needed an answer, but they felt inclined to give him one.

“It won’t do you any good if someone is shot. It would only cause more problems.” Their stutter disappeared completely as they never broke eye contact, the cool metal of the gun barrel never leaving their head.

“How would you know that? You’re only a child.”

“I might be a child, but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid. I don’t mind if I get shot, just as long as it means no one else does.” They could hear Luciel scream hysterically for them to get away; to stop being so foolhardy but he was ignored.

Saeran’s eyes flickered to his loathsome brother and back to the small person whom had his gun pressed against.

Obviously there was some sort of connection between the two. But did he really want to snuff out an innocent being?

His hold tightened, the trigger a light press away from being pulled.

In their eyes, small flashes of fear danced, but then flooded with relief, a dangerously pure smile on their lips as they accepted their fate.

His finger faltered, he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t shoot them. How could he? Minuscule details of his past self began to show in them, the acceptance for what was happening, the sacrifice they would have willingly carried out and the mature look that told him they had been through so much.

He may aswell have put the barrel to his own head and pulled the trigger.

Their eyes remained closed, chest rising lightly as they waited for what would happen.

But it never came.

The sound of metal clattering against the floor echoed against the walls of the silent room, everyone’s breathes held as they watched the abused male sink to his knees.

Their eyes opened upon hearing the loud sound, only to find that they were almost eye level with the man, the most broken expression on his face as he fell onto his knees.

No words were spoken as they opened their arms and gave him a tight hug, like they were trying to tell him everything would be ok and that he would be fine and loved.

Small sobs escaped his lips as the world around then stopped, none of the two noticing that the disciples lay unmoving in a heap and that Rika was now cuffed.

Saeran’s body shook, his grip tightening around them as they lay their head on his shoulder.

Their eyes followed Vanderwood’s figure as he strolled behind Saeran, his jaw clenched and an unreadable emotion on his face. In an instant, his pressure point was hit and he was out like a light.

Luciel pulled them back, his eyes glazed with tears but none falling as he looked down at them. They were expecting some sort of anger, but instead all they got was a trembling voice telling them how relieved he was that they were alive.

“You’re such a fool for doing that (y/n). You really are. You’re not getting out of the house until you’re old and grey.” They just smiled as a response.

“Come on, let’s go.” Vanderwood spoke softly, his arms occupied with carrying the limp body of Saeran.

They removed themselves from Luciels’s hold and went over to the lost nearly blind man.

“Uncle? We should go.” They held out their hand, and with what remaining strength and sight he had, he took their hand and walked, not once glancing back at the woman screaming bloody murder.

       
The past two weeks were tough on everyone, especially Luciel, or should they say Saeyoung? It had been revealed that Saeyoung was in fact his actual name, but that fact was classified.

After school everyday they had been going over to visit Saeran. Saeyoung had been trying to converse with him, but was screamed at and had to be sent out for both his own sanity and his brother’s.

Now was one of those times, Saeyoung was standing outside, trying to calm himself down after Saeran had yelled at him in a fit of rage, cursing him out and insulting him. It was hard to watch quietly, but they did so anyway.

“Mr Saeran?” They spoke up after a long few minutes of nothing but laboured breathing.

He didn’t respond, his eyes just cast upwards towards the blinding white ceiling.

“You’re very pretty.” It was a simple statement, but it left tears rolling down his cheeks as his face was unchanging.

Maybe they were getting somewhere.

 

Another two weeks had gone, and the brothers had improved a bit together. Saeran was able to maintain eye contact with Saeyoung for over a minute, and could have very brief conversations without attempting to kill him.

“Mr Saeran?” He never did answer when they said that, only looked straight up at the ceiling.

“I really like your voice.” Each and everytime they said that, it would always follow with a genuine compliment.

His head tilted towards them ever so slightly, his bright hues searching for any traces of lies.

“Thank you.”

They smiled, their efforts getting them some where.

They leaned into Saeyoung, his arms wrapping around them securely as they closed their eyes, the world fading away as they fell asleep.

 

Two weeks more, Saeran was out of the hospital, but was assigned to a therapist and was scheduled to go at least four times a week. It was hard getting him to go, but after some convincing and a few begs, he complied.

It was good that he had done that too, his mental health was improving, even if it was slowly.

Both themselves and Saeyoung spent their time making him feel comfortable, even if his comfort meant that he was hidden away for hours on end in his room, only coming out for food (which was mainly ice cream or sweets) before cooping himself up again.

They knocked on the door, waiting patiently outside with a tray of hot food.

There came no reply for a good few minutes, before a faint “who is it?” came through.

“It is me, Mr Saeran.” Another long and hesitant pause.

“Come in.” They twisted the knob gently and walked in, giving him a lopsided gein as they entered.

“Morning.” he nodded slightly at them, mumbling a 'morning’ back.

“Pa made some breakfast for you.” They placed the tray on the desk, before heading to leave, but was stopped when he spoke up.

“Why do you stay here? You aren’t his biological child.” They turned around on their heel and stood there.

“Pa took me in when my parents were killed. He saved me from being sold and from being in an orphanage. He taught me this language and in return I am always here for him. That’s why I’m here.” Saeran watched them, blinking slowly as they fiddled with their fingers.

“I hope that’s answered your question Mr Saeran.”

“Don’t call me that, it makes me feel old.” He murmured, looking away at the wall.

“What shall I call you then?”

“Just Saeran is fine.”

They paused for a moment.

“May I call you Sae?”

“Yeah… I would like that.”

 

That was two years ago. Two years had passed from all the heartbreak and trauma, two years since they risked their life to save their loved ones. Two years since they saved a broken being.

“Sae!” The now 13 year old ran into the house, running towards the blue eyed red head.

“Hey. What’s got you so hyper?”

Their eyes showed pride as they held up a frame. In it was a a collection of photo’s taken by them of him and of the family. V had taught them how to use the camera, making sure he passed on his expertise as soon as he had gotten his eye sight restored.

There was pictures that Luciel had stolen of them both, one of which was of Saeran donning a flower crown while they placed it onto his head.

“It’s for you!” He took the frame in his hands and gently slid his hand across the smooth glass, marvelling in all the effort that had been put into it.

“Thank you. It’s beautiful.”

“Just like you!” They beamed as his ears tinges red, a blush creeping up on his cheeks. He still hadn’t got used to the random compliments they would give.

“Where’s brother?” He had only now noticed how unusually quiet it was, the elder and more energetic twin no where to be found.

“I’m here!” Saeyoung popped out, on his head a golden party hat and party popper in his hand.

“What the hell are you doing?” Saeran’s eyebrows raised as he watched his sibling, half annoyed and half intrigued.

“Nothing. We just both got you something.” The pair winked at eachother, raising his suspicions immediately.

“Whatever it is, I don’t want it.”

“Aw, don’t be like that! It’s nice, I promise.” Saeyoung pulled out a box, the top of it punctured with holes.

“Come on, open it!” He looked like he could barely contain himself.

His hands hesitantly lifted the lid, bracing himself for whatever trickery lay inside.

When nothing slapped him senseless, he looked into the box and pulled out the tiny sleeping puppy, a mint bow wrapped around it’s neck as it purred.

“Huh?” He stared at the animal and a small smile broke out onto his face as he cradled the tiny white and black furred creature.

“Why?” He asked simply.

“Just because we love you and to remind you that you’re valid.” Saeyoung spoke, a huge grin on his face as he burst the party popper, the innards landing on the floor.

“We’re one big family! And I’m so lucky to have both of you.” All three of them were engulfed in a hug, courtesy of Saeyoung.

“We’re staying together. Never will we go back to how it was.”


	25. Really?~ || Jumin x GN Reader

"-and that is why it would be ideal to allow Elizabeth the 3rd to come to the party." The corporate heir had just finished his little speech, an almost pleased look on his face as everyone looked at him, stunned. Not even Zen had made a peep.

"Um, Jumin you have something uh, here." Yoosung awkwardly pointed to his forehead, causing it to scrunch up as he lifted a hand to the area.

"What is the matter with it?" He felt the skin but found nothing, and no one else was helping him either.

"Maybe you should go look in a mirror." The actor spoke, his jaw almost in the floor as he hastily reached into his pocket, no doubt to pull out a hidden mirror or his phone.

Just as a mirror was produced, the hacker, who had remained oddly quiet burst out into loud laughter.

"Oh my god." Seven hunched over, his breathing rapid as he was unable to get all the oxygen he needed to make up for his heaving.

"J-jumin, y-you-" Instead of finishing his sentence, he fell to the floor and began rolling around, his legs kicking and flailing as almost anime-esque tears poured from his eyes.

Everyone's eyes twitched at the display, Jaehee 100% ready to whip out her phone and call the nearest mental hospital for back up.

"Jumin, you do have a little something on your forehead." V stated, it was clear even with his crappy -666/20 eyesight. 

Seven continued giggling like mad on the floor, his fists pounding the floor as though he was about to die from whatever was on Jumin's face.

"Here but don't touch the surface." The albino warned, glaring harshly at the ravenette who couldn't have cared less about the demand.

The RFA bit their lips, some holding in smiles, and some hiding their shock.

Across the Jumin Han, Corporate heir of C&R and rich bitch's forehead in big bold letters was 'Cunty Mccunt Face.' 

His face remained stoic, but inside he was cursing up a storm. How dare his soulmate do this to him? And now of all times! This wasn't the first time that they'd written weird things and had it sent to him, unable to wash it off or do anything.

The first time he'd ever seen something on himself that his soulmate had written was 'Boo, you stink!' when he was 8 on his wrist, and every year since they'd gradually increased in profanity and maturity ratings.

He often had the urge to give them a piece of his mind, but his whole personality stopped him from doing so, and he was left to silently seeth 

"How unfortunate. They just had to pick my forehead too." Jumin tutted and shook his head, ignoring the poorly hidden sniggers from everyone except Jaehee, who instead looked like she needed to drown herself in coffee and sleep for an eternity.

"I feel sorry for your soulmate, stuck with someone like you when they have a good sense of humour." His dark hues trailed to look at the smirking runaway, his jaw slightly clenched as Zen twirled his ponytail on his freakishly long index finger.

"Good humour? You really do prove me wrong every time I begin to believe that there is a little inkling of maturity in your body." Zen's face morphed into one of confusion before looking pissed off.

"What's that supposed to m-" Fortunetly, V had spoken up, (earning a displeased grimace from Yoosung), and quieted up the rowdy bunch. Even Seven had stopped laughing long enough for the bluenette's words to be clear. 

"Have you met them yet? If so, maybe you could ask them to stop with their…invigorating messages." Just milliseconds after his question, V was unsuccessful at hiding his entertained simper, her eyes glued to his childhood friend's forehead. 

"If I had met them. I would have made them cease this childish behaviour at once." Seven stood up, brushing himself off without his big grin in the least.

"You're such a downer, Jumin, first you don't let me see little Elly, and now you're complaining about your awesome soul mate." The redhead threw his hands up in an exasperated motion, only to be promptly ignored by everyone.

"Mr Han, have you tried writing back?" He started at his assistant who had spoken for the first time since this entire escapade.

"…No I have not." Que a chorus of facepalms.

"Seriously? How stupid can you be?" Zen murmured, holding his head in is hand as he looked at the floor in pure disbelief.

"Well, maybe you could write to them now. Does anyone have a pen? Mine exploded in on me in class." Jumin pulled out how own specially gifted ballpoint pen and nodded.

Pulling down his shirt, they stared at his pale clear skin that was soon to be defaced by some black ink going over it.

"Come on, while we're still young." Pressing the tip to his skin, he began to write in his neat handwriting a simple and incredibly anticlimactic greeting.

'Please stop writing obscenities in visible areas of my body.' Ah, so blunt and to the point, in the true Jumin style as one would say.

Everyone stared at his skin with their breaths held, almost to the point of passing out before slowly but surely some words began appearing.

'No. It's fun.' He deadpanned, glaring at his wrist and willing for something more to appear, which unfortunately didn't happen.

Instead, across his cheeks came the highlighted words "Fuck off."

"Amazing. Truly remarkable." Fingers lightly touched the neat words printed profanely on his face.

"I wish my soulmate would write back." Yoosung muttered quietly, his own purple iris' smoking at his wrist which had the word 'hi' along with a star, with no reply in sight.

Standing up straight, he looked each one of the members in the eye, unnerving them all, and began writing on his wrist once more.

'I politely ask you to stop with this nonsense. It's quite the embarrassment when I have such crude language sprawled over my forehead when I am trying to discuss serious matters with my peers.' They waited patiently, Zen's exclamation of 'Serious matters? That fur ball is nowhere to being considered a serious matter!' being ignored as they stared.

It was quite comedic actually, the entire of the group leaning over each other to see what someone else who could have been on the other side of the world had to say.

Slowly, but surely their cute sprawl began to appear.

'Aww, wittle diddums. I'm sowwy ;(. Would you wike a kwiss and hug? Besides, it must be awesome to have my writing on your body.' His under eye visibly twitched and Seven could not stop his sniggering from resurfacing.

"This is not a laughter matter, Luciel." Jaehee harshly reprinted the hacker, glaring at him as she sent occasional glances to Jumin's wrist.

He was running out of space to reply so he washed off his older responses, their messages remaining intact.

Once he returned, he noticed that in the mirror the writing on his forehead had erased, and instead something else was being written.

"(y/n)'s bitch." He read monotonously, making Yoosung almost choke on his water from hearing Jumin curse.

"(y/n) huh? I could search them up." Seven offered, coughing in a shitty attempt to hide his insincere upturn of the lips.

"Actually, I'm beginning to rather tire of their antics. I would appreciate if you do." Seven's honey hued eyes widened in shock, he did not expect his offer to be accepted.

"Oh ho ho~ 707 defender of justice will be right on it!" At the loud proclamation, a single thought was loud and clear in Jumin's head.

'You best watch out (y/n).'


	26. Jailtime~ || Zen x Fem Reader

"Cut! Good job guys! You can take a five minute break." The directors voice rang out across the set, reaching the ears of every actor that had currently been working. Including Zen's 

He smiled to himself, happy with the way his shooting had gone so far. He always felt so alive when he was acting. The lights on his face, the camera tracking his movements and the overall energy it produced. It was unbeatable.

Walking over to the table in the far corner, he picked up a complimentary water bottle. Just as he was about to take a gulp when his phone rang, startling him slightly.

'Odd.' He thought, he always told everyone of his acting schedules, and that he preferred not to be called on set unless it was an emergency.

Glancing down at the screen, all mixed signs of confusion of annoyance melted away into joy. She was calling, the 'newest' member of the RFA. She had technically been there for over two years now, but was still refered to as such.

His heart skipped a few beats and he answered the call without hesitation, an unadultered grin present in his voice.

"Hello Jagi! This is odd, you don't usually call me first." There was no reply for around two seconds, anxiety spiking up in the pit of his stomach at the lack of response.

"Uh yeah, hey Hyun." He didn't think too much about her using his actual name, she had used it since she'd learnt it, (he also loved how she said it, but he wouldn't say that out loud), however the dull tone did make him reel.

"What's wrong? You can tell me." A slight sigh passed through the speakers and he felt his heart clench.

"Well, I'm kind of in a bad situation and I need your help." His blood ran cold, the phone almost slipping from his grasp as he repeated her words over and over again in his head, his natural protective instincts flaring.

"What?! What's happened!? Where are you?! Are you okay?!" The onslaught of questions that poured from his mouth had no doubt caught her off guard, causing her to pause.

"One at a time, Hyun. I'm at the police station, waiting to be released on bail. But I need someone to actually bail me out." An error sound almost that out through his brain.

Her? The sweet member that was always so kind, (although a little aggressive when provoked), was in jail? 

The first thought that came to mind was that it was a prank, and a shaky laugh escaped him.

"That's a good prank. You really got me! Tell me why you really called, Jagiya, is it because you wanted to hear my voice?" She grunted in annoyance and her voice grew louder.

"Fucking hell. I'm not kidding, I really am in jail. I need you to bail me out. Please, I'll pay you back all the money. I promise, just help me out here." She really wasn't kidding, and the curse that she'd uttered was the icing on the cake.

"O-okay. I'll be there. Just wait for me." Unable to help the stammer that escaped his mouth, his clenched his jaw and waited for her to speak.

"Thank you." 

"You're welcome. Bye Jagi."

"Bye, Hyun." The line clicked off and he sighed, a hand running through his brilliant silver locks. 

He was in the worst possible situation, but he had to get there quickly for her sake. He didn't care about the money, he would gladly give up all his earnings for her. But he just wished to know why she was in jail.

Deciding to ponder over his racing thoughts later, he hurried over to the director, telling them of his leave and the reason why before exiting with a certain urgency in his steps. 

 

She was so incredibly bored. After getting off the phone with Zen, she'd been put into a cell as they waited for him to appear. Sure jail wasn't meant to be a fun time, but there must have been something she could do to ease the annoyance inside of her. 

The officer that had brought her in gave her a weak smile as they passed. They knew full well why she was here, and they just hoped she did get released on bail. Her actions had good intentions, it just wasn't the correct way to handle it.

Groaning loudly, she was just about to flop down onto the dusty and uncomfortable bed when the cell suddenly unlocked. The loud clanging echoing around the tiny area.

"He came." Standing to attention at the words, her cheeks almost split side open. 

"Next time you see someone being an idiot, call the police. That's why we're here. We'd rather not jail people that only had good intentions. Think before you do something, ok?" Nodding at their words, they allowed her to pass through the gate and towards the entrance where a certain actor stood.

His face was so incredibly pale, he looked as though he was going to hurl straight onto the floor. Only gaining some colour after seeing her in good condition. 

"Hey." Her attempt at the greeting was week and she knew it, but he didn't seem to acknowledge it. 

"Oh my god. You're not hurt, are you? No bruises? Please tell me you're ok." Hands grabbed her shoulders instantly, almost shaking her to get her answers. 

"I won't be fine if you shake my brain into mush. And no bruises." The relief that flooded him was immense, but there was still the question of why she was imprisoned. 

Spotting his mouth opening up, she placed a finger to his lips and guided them both outside where no one could interrupt.

"I'll pay you back as soon as I get home, I promise. I just need to call a cab and I'll g-" Bright red hues were suddenly in her direct line of sight, the concern clear as day in them and causing her to shut up.

"Stop avoiding the main question (y/n). Why were you arrested? And I want the truth." He wasn't fucking around now.

"I just- I don't know. I wanted to defend myself and him." Knowing that she wouldn't continue unless they were away from the bustling outside of the station, he shook his head and handed her a helmet.

"Tell me once we get home." 

 

Parking his motorcycle inside of her garage, she invited him in and began sat him down on her plush couch. She couldn't escape this one so she might as well try to make it slightly better with comfort.

"You know that I have an incredibly low tolerance for racist shit," ruby iris' narrowed as his head bobbed up and down, "well I got into a fight with a racist cumstain."

Zen inhaled sharply, he himself couldn't stand racists but she was on a whole other level. Especially since she wasn't Korean nor was she Caucasian or white skinned in any way.

"The fucktard was yelling at this guy, calling him a terrorist, a pa*i. The whole lot. And then he had said that he was just a rapist, coming over to kill and slaughter everyone because he was a dark skinned Isis warrior. And honestly, before I knew it. I had gone over and punched him straight in his face." The shaky smile presented did nothing to ease his worries.

"He swung back and the man he'd harassed probably called the police. It wasn't pretty, I had managed not to get injured too much because I was much smaller than him. But he had a busted lip and black eye, and instantly played the victim when police arrived." Zen's hands clenched into fists, causing her to place her own palm over his in a soothing gesture 

"And that's how I ended up in jail." She finished, only to be engulphed in nothing but him.

His chin rested on her soft hair, holding her to him as his breath came out ragged from anger.

"You really shouldn't have endangered yourself like that. You could have called me!" He felt her chuckle slightly, the vibrations tickling him.

"You know I would never." 

"But you should!" He insisted, "I can't protect you if you keep getting into situations like that. I don't want to see you hurt, Jagiya."

Her own arms slowly wrapped around his torso, her face nuzzling against his chest just above his heart.

"Thanks Hyun. I can't promise much, but I'll do it for you."

"That's all I ask."


	27. Happiness~ || Saeran/Ray x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains spoilers for day 10 v route.

"You must… become much happier than I was." The call ended.

Her heart was racing, racing so fast that she felt ill. The tangy taste of copper filled her mouth as she stood up urgently, almost knocking over the tray at the bedside table.

"Oh god. Oh my god. Oh my _**fucking**_ god." The desperate whispers that left her mouth caught the attention of Jumin, who had been absent mindedly conversing with Luciel about what would happen to Mint Eye.

The corporate heir looked up, his steely hues meeting hers that seemed to be engulfed in so many emotions he couldn't pick out any.

He was suddenly on high alert, throughout all this time she had remained calm, her demeanour almost indifferent throughout everything that had transpired. 

And now she looked so urgent. 

"Jumin, I'm sorry. But I have to go. I have to- I have to leave. I will be back. I just don't know when. I'm leaving." Her gaze was erratic, hands fumbling around the desk until she grabbed ahold of Luciel's car keys.

"Don't let V worry about me. I promise I'll be fine." Shoving the keys in her pockets, she gently leant down and brushed strands of gorgeous blue hair away from the injured male's face, placing a soft fluttering kiss on his forehead.

"He'll be okay. So you shouldn't worry about that." Jumin could barely keep up with her, her movements quick and speedy as he stood there, dumbfounded.

"MC, where are you goin-" 

"I-i can't tell you right now. But I will, soon." And just like that, she had gone.

The only thing left of her presence was the jacket left behind in her chair, in the pocket, a single wilted blue rose.

 

Guilt that bubbled up rapidly inside her hesrt was shoved down hurriedly as she drove at insane speeds back towards where this whole mess had started.

Luciel was surely left stranded as she had just stolen his car, but she could repay him later. Money and such were only material objects that she didn't care about at that moment 

A life, however, could not be regained or traded 

The shock of what he had said still pulsed through her, numbing her thoughts as she finally pieces together everything he had said. She knew he wasn't doing well, but his words were genuine, and that was enough. 

This time she wouldn't run away. She would save him. 

The light would not hurt him, it instead would encompass him in warmth and help him. She would make sure of it.

A dark feeling rose in her gut with every passing second, her anxiety on high as the scenery flew past. She needed to get there quickly, or she would regret it for the rest of her life.

Gripping the steering wheel so tightly that it left marks, her resolve strengthened and unwavering.

"Ray, please, hang in there…" 

And so, with need and sheer emotion, she slammed her foot down harder onto the gas and raced against time towards the building called Magenta.

 

Parking the car haphazardly near the curb, she practically ran out of the car and towards the building. Throat burning and skin stinging from the cuts and nicks she received from the branches, she powered on and continued running as fast as she could through the brambles and trees until she finally reached a clearing.

"RAY!" Her desperate screams were drowned out by the sound of wind rushing through the leaves on the trees.

"RAY!" Racing towards the doors of the building, she didn't have any time to be surprised at the fact that they were just left open; her mind too occupied with the thought of him.

"PLEASE! RAY!" Screams echoed off the suspiciously empty walls of the corridors. Feet slammed hard against the floor as she rounded corridors and burst through doors, voice getting increasingly louder and more desperate with every step.

This race against time was going to kill her.

"RAY! I'M HERE, PLEASE!" Hot surges of tears pressed up against the back of her eyes, threatening to pass and slide down her cheeks. But she refused. 

She wouldn't cry, not until she found him.

No one was around, the entire building seemed empty and desolate. Fear struck her chest harder, making it so incredibly hard to breathe.

Suddenly, she had an idea on where he might have been. Either the room she stayed in, or his own room. She decided to go to the closest one, she began to rush towards the computer room in which she had first began to unravel the mystery behind the RFA.

The door burst open with great difficulty, having to use her entire body to slam up against the metal blockade that stopped her from getting in.

"RAY! Are you in here!?" The scent of smoke filled her senses, the sense of urgency only rising quicker as she ran desperately around the room.

The only sign of life was the brightly glowing monitors and the discarded book that lay open on his desk.

"Fucking DAMN IT!" Cursing loudly in frustration, she realised with sickening drop in her heart that he wasn't here.

That left only one place, and she needed to get there quickly, something told her that this place wasn't going to hold up for much longer.

Adrenaline pushed her to her limits, all physical pain leaving her body and instead leaving behind only numbness. The only thing she could presently feel was the churning mixture of hatred and fear, both of the emotions directed towards her situation and the person who had created this mess.

"RAY!" Finally, the door was in sight, the smell of thick ash and smoke growing ever stronger.

"RAY!" The only thing she could presently utter was his name, it was the only thing that came to mind as she looked around frantically, before crashing into the door.

"Open! Fucking OPEN!" With a harsh kick to the wood of the door, it splintered under the sheer amount of force exerted.

Reaching her hand through the hole she just made, her hand searched around rapidly for the lock - a sigh leaving her once she had found it.

The door opened ever so slowly.

And there, lying on the bed with a dried bouquet of flowers, was Ray.

"RAY! RAY, WAKE UP!" Her hands grabbed his shoulders, shaking his furiously in an attempt to wake him up. It was no use, he seemed to be in a deep sleep. And the blue syringe near the floor seemed to be exactly the reason why.

"What do I do?" Internally agonising over ways to get out, she finally decided to pick him up. 

The extra weight initially made her knees buckle, but after situating him on her back safely, she began to sprint out of the building, forgetting to pick up the ringing phone that he left behind near his pillow.

 

The smell was making her head pound, her body fatigued from lack of food and sleep, but this was it. The final test she needed to do before everything would be set right. 

"Ray…" The soft whisper passed her lips as she fled through the door that she had thankfully left wide open. By now, the smoke stench was becoming unbearable.

'Come on, you can do this. Get to the car, get to the car!' Yelling madly at herself, the last bits of her strength was used to head as quickly as she could from the building. 

The building that had just blown up. Spraying glass and brick in all directions, her job was made the times harder as she attempted to dodge raining debris, until finally she was out of the firing zone and into the trees.

Her limbs felt like they were going to drop off, and her back felt ready to snap. The car was in her view. 

She had done it.

Warn tears slid down her cheeks from relief, soft hiccups escaping past her lips as she pulled open the door to the backseat and placed him as gently as possible into it.

"You'll be okay, Ray. You'll be happy, I'll make sure of it." Warm fingers touched his cheeks, tracing the soft flesh under her fingertips as she closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax for a few seconds with a heartfelt smile gracing her tired visage.

"I love you, Ray. And I'm going to make sure you're never sad again."


	28. Happiness~ 2 || Saeran x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains spoilers for V route day 10

The drive to the hospital was long and torturous, both for her and the sleeping male in the backseat. He had yet to stir and she feared that he took too strong of a dosage.

Her phone still rang, and at the rate that it was buzzing at, she was sure that her battery wouldn't last much longer. 

"Were you planning to- Ray.." Tears had long since dried, instead leaving tear tracks behind that felt uncomfortable on her skin. The first thing she needed to do was to get him into the hospital and rid him of all the drugs in his system, before talking with V.

It wasn't in her to dislike V even a little, because in the end it wasn't his fault at all that any of this had happened. It was Rika who started this, and it would be Rika who finished it.

Finally, the buzzing had made her reach her patience's limit. Pulling over onto the hard shoulder, she was going to make this call last less than two minutes.

Picking up her phone, the blaringly obvious '9%' reminded her that she did in fact need to be quick. 

Luciel was calling, the redhead's profile picture appearing on the screen and stopping her from pressing anything else.

With a deep breathe, she answered the call.

"MC! MC, what are you doing!? Where are you?!" The frantic tone of the hacker filled the car, Ray's expression morphing into one of discomfort.

"Luciel, take a deep breath. I'm coming back. I just had to do something. I'm sorry for taking your car, I'll pay for the gas and everything else." He hissed into the microphone , the sound loud and clear through the receivers.

"I don't care about the car! I just need to know where you are!" 

"I'm coming back to the hospital. I'll be there in half an hour at the longest." She was purposely not giving any solid answers. it would only throw him into further blind panic.

"M-" She ended the call with one hasty movement, there was no time for this. All she longed to do was have Ray and V be okay and to fall asleep for a long time.

'Just a few more miles. It'll be fine.' And so with that reminder replaying in her thoughts, she sped straight back to the hospital.

 

He was still fast asleep when she arrived at the hospital, carrying him in on her back with heavy breaths. The nurses clambered towards her, placing him on a stretcher to get his stomach pumped and to remove the sleeping drug from his system.

Her own injuries caught up with her, but they were no where near serious, and she could easy fix herself at home with some cream. For now, all she could do was stay with V and Ray and hope that they pulled through.

V.

That reminded her, she needed to go and check up on how he was doing. He did just get stabbed after all. Apologies would need to be handed out accordingly when she arrived at the room, and so was a talk with V.

And so, she climbed slowly up the stairs to the 3rd floor, and walked back into the room occupied by V, Luciel and the mysterious male - Vanderwood.

The door creaked open, almost reminiscent of a horror movie as she walked in with bated breath. Much to her happiness, the most she received was an odd look from the brunette who turned away after a subtle nod for a greeting.

"How's V?" Vanderwood gestured to the male who sat awake, his breath still heavy, but he was awake nonetheless.

"Oh my gosh, V!" His soft smile made her own lips curl upwards into a sincere simper.

Slipping back into her seat, she pulled on her jacket and indiscretely patted her pocket to find the rose, a slight sigh of relief escaping her as the small mound remained untouched.

"Where did you go? Jumin had told me that you had fled." Deadpanning at the Corporate Heir's words, she shook her head, expression turning serious.

"V. Can you please genuinely answer this question? Because, right now, I think I deserve an answer after nearly being caught in an explosion." His own visage turned into one of seriousness, Vanderwood sensing the sudden change of mood and deciding to step out.

"Of course." Breathing in deeply, she reached forwards to take his warm hand in her own, enclosing the limb in her hold while running her thumb across his knuckles.

"Ray. Who is he really?" His body stilled, straight and stony with her question.

"He's just a hacker."

"V, please don't lie to me. I just risked my life to go and save him from committing _suicide_." He gulped thickly, his adam's apple slowly bobbing as his fists clenched.

"Saeran," he whispered, voice almost inaudible, "He's Saeran. Luciel's twin brother." Her own breath hitched as she heard the shocking new information.

"I'm guessing Rika got to him before we could. I only hope he'll heal and move past." Closing her eyes, she could only manage a tired smile, her head dropping ever so slightly as she struggled to stay awake.

"I should tell Luciel. He deserves to know. There needn't be anymore secrets." He agreed, everything was already out in the open, there was nothing more that he needed to share, the last burden off his chest to let him breathe. It was never his intention to bring so much hurt and pain upon the RFA 

All he ever wanted to do was make everyone happy, to save Rika and make sure he was the only sacrifice. But the girl that sat sleepily at his bedside made him think otherwise. She gave him the confidence to do things he never would have imagined, gave him courage and allowed him to open up with the group that became family.

And for that, he was truly thankful. 

"No more secrets." With a genuine smile, he felt himself tearing up as her bright hues shone upon meeting his, such unfaultering trust and admiration made him want to cry like a newborn.

But right now, he knew that someone else needed her presence more. He would forever guard her words with his heart, better himself with the motivation she had sowed within his being, and move on past everything that had happened.

"I think you should go." 

"Go? Do you not want me here V?" He did want her there, she was the one who helped him, live for himself.

"It's not that. I think someone else could do with your presence more than me. I have Luciel here, the poor boy needs someone right now." Slowly, she got up, her hands holding his head gently as she placed a soft and thankful kiss in his hair.

"Thank you V. You really are the angel of the RFA." The real angel was her, but at that moment he felt the slow lull of sleep pulling him back into it's inky depths.

"Sleep well V, and get better soon." The words she had spoken were soon drowned out by the clutches of tiredness finally ensnaring him.

 

Finding the room Saeran was staying in was easy, the receptionist being more than happy to help. The drugs had successfully been removed from his body, and according to the reports, he was awake without any adverse effects on his internal organs.

The subtle beeping of the machine could be heard through the door, her hands shaking as she entered the white room. 

It was almost like a surreal dream, all this bright white everywhere that just seemed to both brighten and dull everything in sight. The one thing the bland colour couldn't erase though, was the bedridden figure of the man who had confessed his love.

"Ray! How are you doing?" He flinched at the sound of her voice, his arms twitching under the covers of the bed as he murmured something she couldn't hear due to distance.

"Is this what it feels like to be dead? I can hear her voice." Upon moving gradually closer, she could hear the words he spoke with more ease. He seemed to think he had passed away; not that she blamed him.

"Sae-Ray. Are you okay?" Ever so slowly, she took small steps towards his bed, aiming for the chair at his side. 

Not once did he even glance in her direction.

Quietly, she seated her exhausted body into the soft seat of the chair and allowed herself to smile. 

He was alive. 

He was breathing.

He was okay.

The silence was comforting, answering alot of questions she had, but not all. 

Steeling up her nerves, she slowly reached out and placed her warm hand on top of his horribly cold one, his body jerking immediately upon contact. Yet, still he didn't speak.

"R-ray. Why would you try and do such a thing?" Struggling to keep her emotions in check, she waited patiently for an answer that she didn't receive.

"Saeran." Bleached locks obscured his vision as his hands trembled, much like a newborn without it's mothers earth and care. 

His teeth were tightly gritted together, and slow tears tracked down the sides of his face, staining the pillow underneath his head. Her heart clenched at the side, but all she could do was watch - for fear of provoking him.

"Please don't cry. It makes me want to cry." The pad of her thumb gently wiped away the visable tears, but they kept coming.

"Why?" His voice was croaky, no doubt from the forced sleep he had put himself into.

"Why what, Saeran?" 

"Why did you save me?" It was a heartbroken whisper, his emotions running rampant.

"I want you to be happy. If you had died I-I -" She cut off, a small hiccup leaving her chest as she sniffled back the tears that teetered dangerously on her waterline.

"You're a beautiful soul Saeran. And I don't want you to waste away. You cared for me so much, you _loved_ me. I can never let you go. You're my everything, you deserve the world and more." His breathing hitched as he heard her sniffle, feeling her body come closer towards him.

Suddenly, he was wrapped in warmth, soothing and beautiful warmth that drove out all the ache in his heart. His mind stopped as he felt her arms around him, her tears dripping onto the blanket.

"I w-want my Saviour." Her hold tightened.

"Please Saeran. I don't know where she is, the last I saw of Rika was when she was in the apartment. A-and it was blown up too." His blood ran cold, ice rushing through his veins.

"She's gone? She abandoned us?" His voice seemed to gradually increase with every word.

"Hey, hey. Shh." Fingers threaded through his hair, stroking the strands under her fingers with the intent of calming him down. It seemed to work too, his posture relaxing and a soft exhale passing through his chapped lips.

"We can do all the things you like to do. You can make your own happiness, you don't need to drink that elixer." He whimpered under her fleeting touch, fearing that it would leave him. 

"I don't need to drink it?" She shook her head, humming through her inner tumoil.

"No, Saeran. I'm here for you. You never have to even look at it again. Not even a computer screen if you want." 

He didn't understand. Why did she care so much for him? He had betrayed her trust, and he was certain she hated him. Everything he had was just blown up, and it seemed like even the Saviour had no more use for him. 

Yet, it felt so nice to be with her, his heart stuttering with every breath he took with her near. It was like the effects of the elixer, but it didn't hurt his head or made him feel like he was dying.

"I'm only useful because I know how to hack." 

"No. You're worth more than a stupid computer or hacking. I'm only ever one shout away, Saeran. You will be okay, and you will be happy." He felt wetness on his neck, but shockingly, they weren't his tears. 

They were hers.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. If only I had gotten to you quicker. I wish I could help you more, you don't deserve this." The next words that came out of her mouth made his entire body stop.

" _I love you Saeran._ And I'm sorry it took both me and you almost dying to realise that." 

Slowly, his own arms began to thread around her, lying just on her back as she held onto him like a lifeline with vicious sobs wracking her form. 

His own fingers wrapped themselves in her hair limply as he listened to her hushed promises and whimpers. He wondered whether or not she could feel his hummingbird like heartbeat, thinking away under his ribcage.

"I love you too." His quiet words made her shake, but instead of sorrow and regret streaming down her face, joy replaced it.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" 

He looked down at the female shattering in his arms, crying over him. And ever so slowly, he felt genuine glee overcome his entire body as he pulled her closer. 

A small smile tugged at his lips, his eyes closing as she wiped away the salty liquid from her cheeks and eyes.

"I promise you'll be okay."

Maybe he could start again, but this time with her at his side.


	29. Save us~ || V x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains spoilers for V's route

Her spit was thick as she swallowed, her mind screaming at her to disagree and rebel, but the kindness in her heart won and overpowered her.

"Alright, I'll be over there if you need me, V." His expression was thankful, happy that she wasn't putting up a fight. 

"Thank you." A soft smile of gratitude graced his lips, his head dipped downwards in an act that almost resembled submission.

If she wasn't close enough to listen, then she wouldn't be hurt. His analogy was correct but at the same time, so very wrong.

Back facing him, she took enough steps so that she was no longer in his view, but he in hers. A nagging feeling in her gut had told her not to fully leave despite his requests. Something was going to happen, and she was going to see what.

"You can come out now, Rika." Leaning closer towards the scene, all the muscles in her body tensed as she watched everything play out. 

She didn't mean to eavesdrop, it was just the impending sense of doom seemed to loom ever closer with every second that the blonde was with him, hands grabbing at his collar or not.

She didn't understand why V wouldn't involve anyone else. This was not his burden to bear alone, yet he didn't relent. He always chose to do things himself, hurting himself only in order to avoid harming others. He was selfless, almost to a fault.

Inhaling sharply, she continued to watch them both with bated breath. The tension in the air seemed to thicken with every passing second, and she hated it.

It made her feel sick, like it was suffocating her slowly and invisibly like carbon monoxide. 

Suddenly, the danger seemed to alleviate, Rika's trembling hands leaving its grasping of his shirt and towards her back.

'God. Oh shit.' 

"If I can't have you, no one can." The words were a mess of wind and incoherent vowels and syllables, the pounding of her heart blocking out everything that was said.

She was numb.

Nothing was felt as her vision began to blur, her head tilted towards the sharp knife protruding from her abdomen, lodged almost to the hilt within her flesh.

Rika looked as though she had been the one to be stabbed, her eyes wide and glazed over with horror and disbelief, her mouth wide open as she gasped.

"I-i stabbed MC. I stabbed MC, I-I STABBED MC!" The shriek made her ears throb painfully, her hearing fluctuating between only muffled noises and hypersensitive hearing. 

"I didn't mean too! H-haah." Fingers dug into her shoulders, her body shaking backwards and forwards in ragged movements, her eyes gravitating to V who laid on the floor with disbelief plastered over his beautiful features.

His robe was covered in dirt, hands most likely scraped from the force of which he had been pushed by. How unfortunate, she wished she could have been gentler on him.

"You won't die right? RIGHT!?" God, why was Rika so loud?

"No. No you won't, you can't die MC! You're strong, you're so strong. You won't die!" A strong and feverish pain began to ebb away all her energy, the bottom half of her body feeling as though it had been skwered with a white hot rod.

"R-rika." Her voice was soft, even so still managing to capture the attacker's fleeting attention.

"What is it?"

"Rika. _Don't t-touch me_." She was floating, floating on air. All she could see was the blur of black and blonde rushing into the shrubbery, the agony consuming her intensifying with every passing second. 

Blood, thick and oh so red blood coated her fingers, the knife still implanted within her.

She was falling. 

Falling, falling, falling further and further until she stopped, her body held and supported another. 

"W-why? Why would you do such a reckless thing!?" Blue hues met her own half lidded ones that filled with nothing but relief and exhaustion.

"I don't want you to be hurt anymore. You deserve to be happy, and so does everyone else." Every word that was spoken was killing her, but not even a wince of pain crossed her eerily calm features.

Despite his own shaking knees and weak figure, he had pulled her into his arms, thanking her internally for weighing barely anything. 

The crimson on her clothes just seemed to soak further in with every second, the race against time reminding him with a burning passion that he needed to be fast.

She was going to die if he didn't pick up his pace.

He could have cried like a newborn when he finally spotted the cabin in which they all temporarily resided in. It never seemed more inviting than in that moment, the back of his eyes burning as he pushed the door open with everything he had left.

"Luciel. Luciel!" Urgency was so loud and undeniably clear, the acclaimed hacker stumbling in with a rightfully vexed look on his visage.

"What is it, V? I thought you were supposed to be resting, is MC not with y-" His words stopped dead in their tracks, his amber hues falling still on her bleeding body and wound.

"Holy fu-, what the hell happened!?" Falling onto his knees beside the disoriented photographer, he waited impatiently for an answer.

"R-rika," he paused, oxygen escaping him, "She was stabbed by Rika." Luciel couldn't muster even the slightest ounce of shock in his voice.

He wasn't startled in the least, he knew that Rika was beyond help and that she was going to do something rash very soon, he just wished he could have prevented it.

Vanderwood walked in, his brows furrowed as he took in the scene playing out before him. 

And quite the scene it was. Blood stained the wooden floor he had spent so long cleaning, the woman in V's arms looking as though she was on the brink of passing out The redhead looked indifferent, yet Vanderwood knew that he was burning up with anxiety and worry.

'What kind of damn charity association is he part of?' The question burned itself into his mind, the brunette reaching down to scoop the barely conscious female into his hold and away from the shaking bluenette.

"You can barely stand, hand her to me." The tone in which Vanderwood spoke left no room for argument, her limp body shivering from the pain coursing through her as she was switched from person to person.

"(y/n), stay awake okay? Just listen to the sound of my voice and don't you dare go to sleep." Hissing softly, her nod nodded ever so slightly in understanding.

"O-okay. But h-how do you know my name?" Refusing to make eye confact, the hacker decided on grabbing his car keys instead and beckoning for the others to follow. 

She was so tired. 

So, so tired.

All she wanted to do was sleep.

 

Low and dull beeps were all she could hear, the sound almost soothing compared to the rushing of blood in her ears; and much more favourable than the panicked screaming of the cult leader that had hurt so many people.

Her movements were sluggish, hands creeping slowly towards her torso only to feel nothing but air. 

The knife was gone.

"MC, you're awake." Blinking, her eyes met once again with his ever expressive hues, once that displayed nothing but guilt and remorse for his actions and thoughts.

"Hm. I guess so." Upper body shaking from the force she was exerting onto herself, she barely managed to prop herself up into a sitting potion, her back under much less stress.

"I should have been the one to be stabbed. I deserved it ans you got injured instead, why? You barely know who I am, MC. You should be disgusted, you should be revolted by the sight of me! Why? Why!?" His voice did not increase in volume, instead only growing more bitter with every word passed his chapped maws.

"Because you didn't deserve the pain. No matter what you might think, V-v. The burden is not just yours to bear. I wanted to help you, and I have. I wish I could do more." Strands of blue hair covered his face, his hands clenched at his sides as he struggles to keep his composure, cracks decorating his facade with every millisecond.

"You're so endlessly kind. I only wish I could have protected you." A faint smile grew on her lips, her hand on his head as she ruffled the like affectionately.

"You should s-stop blaming yourself, V." Only a melancholy expression remained on his gorgeous face, eyes cast downwards as though he was unworthy of even looking in her direction.

The ring of her phone interrupted any future sentences, the ringtone playing loudly and continuously as the device buzzed jolted and squirmed in it's place on the desk near her assigned bed. 

Seeing her reach for it, he stood up.

"I'll let you have some privacy." Her smile was gentle.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it."

He left through the white door, body disappearing as he closed it with a dull click.

Looking down at the phone, she bit down on her bottom lip, did she really want to talk with her?

The answer was no, but she would bare through it for everyone else's sake. She was doing everything for them, she herself didn't matter.

And so, her finger slid the green button across, the line connecting for a few seconds before finally securing itself.

"MC? MC! You picked up! Are you okay?" The desperation was clear in Rika's slurred speech.

"I-I'm okay." She didn't want to talk to her, she wanted to talk to Ray. The person who had accommodated her, who had doted on her and gave her something she hadn't felt in year; true care and compassion.

"Thank goodness! I'm sorry, I never meant to stab you. I d-didn't mean it!" This was so tiresome.

"I know Rika. But please, listen to me." The line went quiet, only the sound of Rika's harsh breathing as an indication to carry on.

"Please don't hurt Ray anymore. Let him go Rika, let him be free. I want to take care of him, he needs to be cared for." 

"MC-"

"Please, Rika. I want you to do something good. Let him go." She could hear the older woman struggle to hold back her tears.

"S-saeran, he's unstable. He, he-"

"It doesn't matter. I will help him with everything he needs, do a good deed Rika and set him free. Do it for Saeran if not me." The dam had broken, sniffles and choked breaths reaching her ear.

"Good deed? Will it make him happy?" 

"I swear on my own life, Rika. I will do everything in my power and beyond to make him happy." The conviction couldn't have been denied, so strong and so present in every letter she uttered.

"You will be his sun." The whisper seemed like it was only meant to be heard by Rika, barely audible unless you strained.

"A-alright. You will take care of Saeran now."

"Thank you, Rika, for doing the right thing. Please send him to the hospital, and I will greet him. I promise to never falter in making him happy, he will never feel alone again." The sound of her sobbing increased, the click of the phone call ending sending the end tone to play.

She knew that Rika would send him here, despite hee obviously resistance. There was good in her that had been buried and twisted it something that resembled a demon.

Turning her phone off, she placed it back onto the table and began to swing her legs out of bed until Luciel openes the door and stopped her in her tracks.

"You never did answer my question, Luciel. Hoe do you know my name?" 

"…I had to do alot to find it. But it was hidden back in your home countries records." To be honest, she wasn't all that bothered. She just preferred not to use her real name for people she didn't know too well.

"It's alright, don't worry about it. But may I ask you a question?" He nodded, tilting his head so that his luscious red hair fell slightly onto the frame of his eccentric glasses.

"Do you have a brother, a brother named Saeran?" His eyes widened, mouth falling agape.

"H-how did you-?"

"Rika." That single word made his shoulders slump, eyes cast to the side as he nodded.

"You'll see him soon. I managed to get him away from Rika and he will be coming to the hospital for treatment. Please stay near the entrance and when you see him arrive, come to get me. I made a promise to him and I will die to keep it." Bottom lip quivering, he nodded and dashed out of the room, as though he couldn't bear to wait any longer.

Seeing Luciel run out like he had just been scalded, V walked back in with concern glittering in his hues.

"Are you feeling any better?" She hummed, becoming for him to sit down at her side.

He did so very carefully, being mindful of the fact that the wound was still fresh and leaking blood, albeit slowly.

A warm hand covered his own, squeezing it tenderly as is head whipped around to face her gentle expression.

"This is all ending, V. I know it. Saeran is coming soon, and Rika is going to be prosecuted. Eveyone is going to be fine." Another gentle squeeze of his hand triggered tears, unstoppable salty droplets that tumbled down his cheeks.

Pulling her upper body into a hug, his head lay on her shoulders as he shook. Everything he had worked so hard to accomplish was happening.

"Y-you're truly an angel. I only wish I had met you earlier." Her fingers were gentle as they stoked his head, hair falling like silk between her fingers.

"What's done is done, Jihyun. From now on all we can do is offer support. You and Saeran especially, you've been through so much. And I sincerely hope you find it in you to love yourself, Jihyun." He spoke not a single word.

"I promise to protect you with my life. And no one will ever change that."


	30. Jailtime~ || Jaehee x Fem Reader

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Contains spoilers for Jaehee's route

The sweet smell of delicious baked goods wafted around the café, filling every crevice with the delectable aroma. Despite it being a somewhat busy business that she and Jaehee owned, it never seemed to be a hassle.

Her fingers tapped the counter as she sat on the stool behind the till, her head laid in her hands as she smiled at the sight of all the content faces. 

It was always a delight to see people enjoying her's and Jaehee's hard work. 

Seeing someone walk upto the counter, she stood up and greeted them, nodding along happily to whatever they wanted said. 

As she was packaging up the cinnamon buns and chocolate pastries that they'd ordered, the bell on the door jingled, signalling that someone had entered. 

"Thank you for coming! Have a great day!" Waving at the customer, her hues followed the burly male that had entered. 

She wasn't one to judge by appearances, but he seemed like he could do a lot of harm if he wished to. He seemed to be walking towards a male around her age, a rather skinny looking thing with rounded glasses sitting deftly on the bridge of his nose. He was quite pretty she had to admit, the kind of person she might have gone for if she'd been straight. 

"Do you want me to take the till?" The soft voice of her friend (and fellow employee) brought her back to reality.

"Yeah, thanks." Moving away from the counter, she decided to pick up the broom and start sweeping, keeping the place neat and tidy was a priority after all.

Humming, she walked around and dusted up the crumbs lying - depositing them directly into the trash. 

"Seo." Looking up, she realised that she had managed to wonder towards the two men that had caught her interest earlier. She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but she had to clean the area.

The small male, now identified as Seo, peered up, his coffee in his hand as his fingers hovered above the keyboard of his laptop, no doubt doing some sort of college essay.

"Uh hi?" Seo greeted meekly, an eyebrow raised in questioning. 

"I'll cut to the chase. You owe me money, and I want it now." This was beginning to sound like something that might require her assistance, but she needn't interfere just yet.

"Wh- I don't owe you money, I don't even have any on me." Seo's brows furrowed as he gazed at the man, only faintly catching the flutter of her apron from the corner of his eye.

"Is that so?" The demanding man sneered, looking down at Seo like he was the scum of the earth, "you seem to have alot of money to spend here at this shitty place."

Upon hearing the insult to her pride and joy, her temper flared, the grip on the broom tightening as she itched to whack him atop the head with it.

"I really don't have any money. And I don't owe you anything either." Despite seeming to frail, Seo really did have some fight in him that she admired.

"Bullshit!" The splattering of the cake Jaehee had worked so hard to make was loud as it hit the tiled floor, instantly grabbing her attention and making her loathe the man even more.

Seo looked panicked, his dark eyes searching around for help until they connected with hers, a silent agreement being made as she began to walk over, broom in hand.

"I'm sorry Sir, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave." She had always wanted to say those words, it was usually Jaehee doing the kicking out.

"You, stay out of this." He stood up to his full height, trying to intimate her.

"I apologise, but you're causing quite the disruption, and you're harassing a customer. You need to leave Sir." He began to walk closer to her, attempting to back her into a corner but she stood her ground.

"So what, huh? What are you going to do about it?" She was slightly wishing that Jaehee would hurry up and finish with the cakes in the back.

"I'm going to call the police." The statement made him blink in confusion, but then his expressions shifted into ones that represented anger.

"Fucking pussy. Have to get the feds, do you?" Nodding, she made eye contact with her friend at the till, who was now in the process of dialling the police.

"Yes I do need to get the police. Unless you get off the premises." Beginning to tire of this man's buffoonery, she attempted to walk away. Only to have her hand gripped tightly, with the intent to hurt present.

Instincts kicked in, and with her other free hand she launched him over her shoulder, using his own weight against him.

The once quiet murmur of the store quietened down instantly, everyone staring at the female that had just fluidly decked a male around twice her size with little to no effort at all. 

Thankfully, the shock of the move didn't wear off quickly, instead he stared at her with wide eyes until the noise of police sirens caught his attention. 

You could only imagine Jaehee's face when she ran out, to see her lover and an unfamiliar man be dragged into the police cars without a second for her to interrupt.

 

"It was self defense, officer." Her tone was bland, cold and untelling.

"I know sweetie, but we have to question you a bit first before we can let you go." The officer was a sweet old man, one that made her feel welcome and not at all like a criminal. Not that she was one, of course.

"What started the confrontation?" He asked, the dim light of the lamp illuminating both of their bare features.

"He was harassing one of the customers in my store." Answering with a shrug, she tugged at the cloth of her apron.

"One last question, then you can leave. Don't worry, nothing will happen to you." Nodding, she smiled lightly.

"Did he grab you first?" 

Pulling up the sleeve of her arm, she showed him the forming bruises from where the grip had been asserted.

"Yeah." Jotting it down, he stood up and gestured for her to do the same.

"Thank you for co-operating. It really helps, you can leave whenever you want to." Rushing out of the room, she began to run for the outside, itching to get out of the horribly constricting building.

Finally, she burst through the doors with a gasp, falling straight into someone as she attempted to gather herself.

"I'm sorry-" Hands gripped her forearms, a tough yet gentle hold on her biceps that caused her to look up into familiar mocha coloured hues.

"Jaehee?" The female only nodded, worry twisting her features as she was pulled in for a tight hug.

"Oh god, I thought something bad happened to you. I closed the store and came as fast as I could bu-" The brunettes rambles were cut off by warm arms circling her midriff, bringing her closer to the source of warmth and solace that lay within her lover. 

"No, Jae. I was just protecting someone. I wasn't hurt, you don't need to sorry, silly. You worry too much." Her heart fluttered at the tinkling laughter that rang in her ears, like a soft hum of church bells in a breezy summer's afternoon.a

"I apologise. I should have been out quicker so you wouldn't had to have come here." She shook her head, her fingers slipping upwards to lace themselves in her soft hair, twirling it around her finger a with a soft smile.

"It doesn't matter. Come on, let's get back to the café." Fingers lacing together tightly, they walked towards the car quietly, an air of acceptance and loving surrounding them both.

"I love you Jaehee." 

"I love you too."


	31. Flowers~ || Saeran x Fem Reader

He sighed, the small breath hitting the strands of hair that had drifted infront of his brightly coloured eyes. Slim fingers wandered upwards, brushing the bleached locks from his view.

The vibrant colours of the flowers infront of him drew his attention, as they did every day.

The petals would always take up the space of which he gazed at, he couldn't say he really minded it though. It was a change from the greys, reds and orange that was scattered in intervals around the bunker.

His brother, Saeyoung, had forced him to take up a day job. Saying that it would inspire him to be more social and interactive with people. He almost snorted at the thought.

'What bullshit.' He thought, his head laying on his palm as he continued to stare at the blossoming plants.

The job instead bored him to no end, hardly any one walked into a florist. Sometimes there would be large bulk orders, or people running in wanting something for their family, but other then that, nothing. 

He couldn't complain too much however, the job payed well for the lack of physical work and the owner was nice enough. But he just wished to go to his room and sleep.

Closing his eyes slowly, he breathed in the mixed floral scent and allowed a tiny smile to grace his visage.

Just as he was about to drift off, the shop bell rang and his eyes snapped open.

Blinking away the haziness in his vision, he stood up, knowing that he would get a very disappointed look and a flick on the head if he didn't show the proper manners and respect towards the customers.

He watched as a young girl, who he believed to be no older then himself, walked over to the displays. He just hoped that she wouldn't mess around with the displays, they took an arm and leg to set up, and were incredibly irksome to continuously redo.

The girl flitted about, her feet shuffling around like she needed to go somewhere in a hurry.

His eyebrow raised, maybe she was one of those people that needed something for a family member? Or perhaps a lover?

Shaking his head, he cursed himself for drifting off into such a stupid train of thought.

She bent down, the pads of her fingertips grazing over the soft petals of the roses she was hovering above. Her teeth bit down softly on her bottom lip as she reached out to gingerly pluck a single white rose from the pot.

Straightening up, her eyes latched onto his and she gave him a warm smile, surprising him greatly from the suddenness.

She trailed over towards the counter, her hand pulling out coins from her pocket as she placed the flower on the counter.

He glanced down at the flower and input the amount into the till, stating the price with boredom clear in his tone.

She handed him the exact amount, nothing more and nothing less with the same smile.

He picked up the rose and was about to give it to her, when she took a large step back out of his reach.

"Oh no. Keep it. It's yours." She took several more steps towards the door, her hands reaching out for the handle as she looked at him with mirth filled hues.

"Have a good day Sir. I do hope you like the rose." With that she exited, leaving him wondering what had just happened.

 

He was near the potted plants, taking care not to prick himself on any of the nasty spines of the cacti that loved to snag themselves on his work apron. 

The water delicately sprinkled itself onto the spikey plant, soaking into the soil and plant quickly.

His hand moved, the watering can jolting a bit in the transition.

The door bell tinkled, causing him to pause and look up from his work, eyes narrowed as he looked through his hair.

It was the same girl from yesterday.

She grinned brightly at him, waving as she greeted him with a jolly 'good morning'. For the sake of being curteous, he replied back with "Morning".

Walking back towards the roses once again, she slowly picked one up again and took it to the counter. He thought nothing of it, he was past caring, and once again told her the price.

She handed him the same amount, and took the white rose, but this time she asked for him to extend his hand.

'Huh?' He looked at her wearily, but he did as she asked and extended his hand. The rose was placed into his palm and she gave off a tinkling laugh.

"Have a good day!" And with that, she exited once more.

"What the fuck is going on?" 

 

It had been over a week, and she had been there every day continuously, buying a single white rose and handing it to him.

Even on the Wednesday and Friday that he had off, she had come in and asked where he had been. She had asked where "the pretty cashier with the blue eyes" was the exact words that she had said, as phrased by the owner. He didn't know what to think of it.

The owner had also rather sneakily added in with a slight eyebrow wriggle that she seemed to really like him, earning a scoff and a light glare from Saeran. 

"I'd rather you didn't say things like that."

The owner laughed boisterously and slapped his back as they chuckled.

"Ah, my dear child. You'll see what I mean. She's bound to come in today."

"Yeah yeah." He grumbled, shrugging off the hand and walking to the register, his eyes wondering to the two white roses that were placed in the vase.

The clock struck 12, he only had 3 more hours left in his shift. His chair scraped the floor as he got up to head to the back for his lunch break.

But as soon as he was about to turn around, the bell rang and someone had entered. He couldn't be too mad, after all he had been secretly waiting for her to appear.

"Good morning. How may I help you?" He spoke, putting on his customer service voice.

"Hi! Oh I'm fine. But thank you for asking." She always made it a point to be polite, confusing him. Some customers just weren't raised properly and would bark orders at him.

In her hands there was two ice creams, one vanilla and one mint. She saw him looking and the grin on her face widened.

"Hey, I wanted to say thank you for being so nice. I bought an icecream for you but I don't know what flavour you like, and if you're allergic to dairy." Her eyes widened and she looked at the icecreams in horror.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry! Are you lactose intolerant? I'm so stupid, fuck I shouldn't have brought in ice cream." He found it somewhat amusing that she was having a break down over icecream, unable to help the chuckle that left his lips.

"It's fine. I'm not allergic to dairy, don't worry." He found this girl interesting.

"Really?" A sigh of relief allowed her tense shoulders to sag.

"Here. I know you might not want it since I'm a stranger, and you know stranger danger. But I really wanted to give it to you." She slowly reached out and gave him the vanilla ice cream.

"I didn't know what flavour you liked, so I got the basic one." He just nodded and slowly took it from her, their hands connecting by a sliver of flesh.

A beautiful closed eye smile graced him as she moved back. Taking a single rose yet again, she left the amount of the desk, as well as the rose and walked out, but not before saying "have a good day Sir!"

He huffed, looking simultaneously at the ice cream and rose before flipping the sign and heading to the back, a firm plan in his mind as he headed to the back.

 

He waited, the clock didn't ease his annoyance as it continued to go slower than ever.

"God. Hurry up." As if God had finally heard his prayers, her figure appeared in the windows and she pushed open the door. Everyday now, for a month she had come in and given him a rose, before leaving with a "have a good day!". 

He wanted to know why, or if there even was a reason.

She waved, the bracelets on her wrists jingling.

"Hello!"

"Hello." He watched her as she picked up a rose and walked towards him.

He did the usual procedure and she handed him the coins. But this time, just as she was about to go, he reached out and held onto her wrist, startling her.

"…Sorry." He apologised after seeing her still and stare at his hand, prompting him to drop it.

"Was there something you needed?' She asked kindly, her hand gently rubbing the wrist.

"No, um, yes actually. I wanted to know why you give me a rose every day." He looked away, rubbing his neck sheepishly as his cheeks tinged red from embarrassment.

It was her turn to go slightly pink and flushed, her hands fiddling with the hem of her clothes.

"I-i." She stammered before taking a deep breath.

"I wanted to give you something because I thought you were very beautiful, but I didn't know how to approach you so I bought you a flower." He blinked in shock as she turned around, leaving him unable to see the bright red hue on her cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes.

"I guess it just escalated because I wanted to see you, and since you probably would call the police on me if I asked if you were free. After all, you don't even know me." She shrugged and turned her head so she was looking at him over her shoulder.

"I won't come back don't worry, you're probably thinking about what a creep I am." She took large steps towards the door; mortified beyond belief, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't think that y-you're a weirdo." His hair covered his face as her heart lifted from her stomach steadily.

What she was going to say next would either make or break her depending on the answer, but she was going to take her chances. 

" Then maybe you would like to go out for Ice cream sometime? On me of course." Her heart rate sped up, waiting for his answer before it suddenly almost burst at his reply.

"I would like that."


	32. Jailtime~ || Yoosung x Female reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains mentions of attempted assult

Ah fuck.' She hissed, leaning up against the wall of the cell she was set to sleep in, her body slumping from a mix of annoyance and exhaustion.

"Why?" You may ask, was she in a jail cell? 

Well, long story short it was because she had an incredibly warped sense of justice that always lrf her into more trouble then it was worth. 

Her phone had been taken away, as was the standard procedure. But it was still annoying. 

She had already called Yoosung to try and get him to bail her out. It hurt to tell him since it was clear he had fallen asleep, and her calling had woken him up. But she assumed she was granted a pass since she was in, ya know, jail.

The frantic tone of his voice and the rapidness of his questions jad led her to stumble, until she'd gotten slightly annoyed.

"Hey Yoosungie! I'll answer all your questions in person, can you please just bail me out first?" The phone had cut off and she honestly had no idea whether he was coming or not.

It was quite pitiful that the only person she knew would pick up was the college student, since her parents weren't in the country and her friends had become nonexistent since she decided to move.

Groaning, she leaned her head back and cursed herself to the seventh hell. This was really not what she had in mind when she went out this horrible dark night.

Rolling onto the bed, her eyes refused to close as she faced the wall. Her thoughts were running rampant and she wondered how long she would have to stay before she could leave, the whitewashed walls were going to drive her insane.

Suddenly, the sound of the cell being unlocked caused her ears to perk up, and she shot straight into a standing position.

The officer gave her a small smile. They was the one that had arrested her, so they knew the details of what had happened. 

"Looks like you got bailed kiddo. Try not to jump head first into situations like that again." Her grin widened, practically buzzing upon hearing the news. He really had come through then.

"Thank you, sir!" They rolled their eyes playfully and ushered her out of the dingy cell that she hoped she'd never return to. If she could help it anyway.

"You can thank me by not coming back in here." 

All her items were handed back to her, thankfully in the condition she'd given them in. She almost had the urge to kiss her phone in glee, it really was torture being without it.

"Have a good night!" She called out, the other members of staff mumbling a goodbye, seeing no harm in doing so. 

And now the worst part.

Facing Yoosung's wrath.

She was expecting a royal bollocking once she stepped foot outside of the police station, but instead she was tackled into a rib crushing hug.

"Yoosung?" There was no response, only the slight motion of his arms pressing her closer to him, his golden hair tickling her nape slightly. 

"W-why would you do that? Why were you in jail?" His voice was soft and concerned, sounding like he was on the brink of crying. 

"It's a long story, and right now I'm too tired." A noise of dissatisfaction escaped his throat, but he didn't protest, despite the bubbling pit of anxiety in his stomach.

"Ok, but promise me you'll tell me tomorrow?" His violet hues shone in the moonlight, and she couldn't help but agree.

 

The next day had unfortunately arrived, and Yoosung was quick in making that a point. He had taken her to his own home instead, insisting that he wanted to know what had happened as soon as possible. 

And that had led her to her current predicament, stuck on the couch as Yoosung cornered her.

"Ok ok, fine. Gosh Yoosung. I'll tell you!" The triumphant smile on his face was telling a whole lot, but was soon wiped off as she started her story.

"Well," she started, her eyes darting to the left as she retold the tale of last night, "as you know I was in jail. And it was my fault, but also he provoked it."

Yoosung's eyebrows almost shot into his hairline, but he listened none the less.

"I was walking towards the store to get some food, that I didn't end up getting." The blonde gave her a pointed look, a silent indicator to tell her to hurry the fuck up.

"And I heard someone scream. It came from the alleyway and I couldn't help but look. There was this lady, maybe a year or so older than me. And she was pinned against the well while this big man was trying to yank her purse, and it also looked like his hands were going to places where it shouldn't." She looked up tentively to see his his face in an unreadable expression.

"So I did what came naturally. I ran over and rammed into him from the side. He fell really hard and I think hit his head. The lady ran, but she must've called the police because they were there within a few minutes, while I was still there trying to get the purse." He already knew how this story ended, but he didn't want to interrupt.

"And so, obviously it looked really bad. Me there trying to pull a purse from a bleeding man's grip while he was on the floor looking like shit. You know what happened next. Sent to the station, yada yada. He was taken in as well, so atleast that happened." Yoosung looked like he was about to cry, his water line filled with miniscule drops of salty liquid. 

Panic immediately rose within her and she stood up to grab him, but instead she was pushed back down by his weight.

"Wha-" Her voice was once again caught in her throat as his head dipped into the crook of her neck, his light sniffles reaching her ear easily.

"Why would you do that? Don't you know how dangerous that was?" She only managed a pathetic shrug, dread in her every cell as she felt tears drop onto her shirt.

"I guess I have a fight instead of flight instinct. It's just who I am, I guess. I wasn't hurt, so don't cry." Her cooes were soft and she almost found it funny how she was comforting him instesf of the other way round. 

"Don't you ever do anything like that again. You're so stupid!" Chuckling lightly at his words, she only nuzzled into his and sighed, her smile small against his neck.

"Alright alright, I'll try. But only for you."


	33. Texts~ || V x Fem reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major character death

It had been over a year, but the pain never lessened. The memory was always fresh in her mind, even though he physically was far from it. Every little thing always reminded her of him.

Of his beautiful silky hair.

Of his kind personality.

Of his tenderness and love.

Of his utter devotion and loyalty, which in the end led to his untimely demise. 

If he hadn't been devoted to the one who only brought danger and trouble in her wake, maybe he would have lived to see the sunrise. 

But in the end. His best traits were his downfall. 

His sun was Rika. Beautiful flowing blonde hair and green eyes that could ensnare anyone with a single glance. She was very fitting of the title, as she brought radiance with her wherever she went. But beneath all that purity, was an mentally ill woman who was too far gone.

He had covered for her. Almost destroyed the lives of two siblings in the name of love. 

She almost laughed at the thought.

"Love."

Love was its own poison. A poison that takes one by the heart and slowly makes its way up to the victims brain. Making them act irrationally and irresponsibly.

She too was a victim of this so called 'love.'

She had fallen for the man. The man who was taken; in more ways then one. 

His bright demeanor shone through the little messages he sent. Albeit he was hardly ever online, but every time he was, her heart skipped a little beat. 

She had only talked to him for 11 days before the party had closed in. She had no plans to attend unless he was there, the other members weren't top priority. And so she instead decided to track his signal, finding it slightly suspicious that he wasn't in his house ill. Like he had claimed to be.

She had gone, meeting Seven on the way. He had immediately tried to get her to go away, telling her that it was a classified case. But she knew better. If it was so classified, why was V there? That question shook him, making him shut up and allow her to follow.

 

Series of events then followed. The troubled twin, Saeran, had become unstable. Waving the gun around dangerously, hands clutching at his bleached locks in desperation. Saeran's mint hues had looked around erratically, before fatally locking onto the lost cyan haired male.

Saerans finger pulled down, aiming the gun straight for his chest. 

She tried to intervene, her legs had never moved so fast.

But she was too late, the bullet slipped just millimeters away from her fingers. Before plunging into his heart, ruby red droplets spilling onto his shirt.

She would have screamed from the horror, but nothing came out of her mouth.

He fell to the floor, glasses clattering from his face and revealing his almost milky white eyes, ineffectively trying to stop the bleeding. 

Falling to the floor beside him, she pulled him into her lap, gritting her teeth as her clothes covered in his life source.

"It was fun conversing with you MC. I'm so sorry to have caused everyone so much pain. Maybe I'll finally redeem myself by leaving." There was a faint smile on his visage. A smile that would forever haunt her. 

The smile that stayed in his face as he passed away straight in her arms. 

If you and listened close enough, you could have heard her heart shatter into a million unamendable pieces as she howled from the emotional agony.

He had died, all because of his devotion to a toxic relationship. 

 

Tears streamed down her cheeks, over her slightly upturned lips and down her chin, only to then pool at her collarbones. 

Staring down at the familiar number, a heavy sob wracked her body as her thumbs slid over the keyboard. 

'Hey Jihyun. I hope you're doing ok up there. Everyone hasn't really talked much after you went, we all still really miss you!'

Wiping one of her eyes, she continued typing.

'I still reread our old messages. Even though they weren't towards me specifically most of the time, I can't help but cherish them.'

'You were so nice to everyone! Even though we all now know that you were the one hurting the most.'

'Thank you for trying to protect us all.'

More salty tears poured from her relentlessly. She hated that even after a year the wound hadn't closed. Why he still had such a tight hold on her, she did not know.

'Maybe one day you'll respond. And I'll be waiting for that day.'

'You're my universe Jihyun, even if I never was your sun.'

The small grey box at the top flashed, alerting her that the number was no longer in service. But that didn't mean she cared.

It was the only form of solace she had, she would rathee die then give it up.

With a heavy heart, she exited the messages. Hoping that maybe one day - 

One day.

He would respond.


	34. Elevator Endeavours~ || Vanderwood x Fem Reader

The stench of cigarettes and disappointement was strong in the air, burning his nose and intoxicating him. Bullets ricocheted off the old crumbling walls of the building, embedding themselves into the wall, just a few inches away from burying themselves into his flesh.

Gritting his teeth with a hard and steeled gaze, he looked around for some sort of cover; something that the building didn't offer too much of. Not that he expected it to anyway, it was an old and rickety building they were inside of.

Spotting an obscure opening, he quickly and swiftly with the grace of a ninja, slipped into the elevator and slammed the doors closed button. An almost inaudable sigh passing through his chapped pink lips.

'I didn't know there was going to be so many. Damn information broker can't do his job.' Irritation made up most of his aura, the air around him suffocating and taunt as he pressed the floor up button.

Closing his eyes for a split second, the sudden shake of the lift made him pause, a brown hue revealed as e stared at the bland metallic wall in front.

The signature "door's opening" didn't play, confusing him and forcing him to investigate a little harder. Slim fingers traced the symbols on the panels, slowing to a halt at the open doors before pressing it swiftly with an air of impatience. 

A horrible groaning sound erupted instead, the creak loud and piercing as it vibrated around the tin can he was currently hiding in.

"Damn." Hissing at his own bad luck. he realised that the elevator had chosen to become stuck. Honestly, it was like everything had something against him.

Eyes narrowing into slits, a flash of movement drew his attention, the soft motions like a blaring siren in his mind.

A girl, around a year or two younger then himself, stood in the corner with an unnervingly blank expression on her face. 

'Fucking hell.' Scowling, skin met denim as he reached behind himself to pull out his signature taser, the dangerous weapon ignited with a flick and a crackle - a subtle warning about all the damage it could cause. 

Ground was covered quickly by his rapidly oncoming figure, the offending item alive in his palm, itching to be connected to skin.

"Don't move any closer!" Faster then he was able to blink, an incredibly potent gun was in her grasp - and it was aimed straight for his heart. Her stance with immaculate and an eyebrow raised in something resembling amusement.

"Tell me, who do you work for?" She didn't seem to belong with the other scum loitering around, but she most certainly wasn't with his team.

An outside.

"What?"

"I _said_. Who do you work for?" Confusion clouded her hues, eyebrows knitting together as she spoke.

"I don't work for anyone. I'm only a student." Scoffing, he stared her down, his smouldering gaze piercing through her.

"You really believe lying will work? If you haven't noticed, there's no escape." Her attempts to cheat her way out of being cornered were bothersome, and he didn't appreciate the nuisance.

"I'm not lying… I am a student and I work part time in a grocery store." A single stride closer to her, eyes engaged in a heated staring match as he continued to near her smaller form.

"Don't fucking come near me!" Unfortunately for her, he took orders from no one other than his boss. 

Within a few seconds, her back was pressed flushed against his chest, her arms folded behind her back with the gun discarded at her feet.

The dangerous amount of volts crackled right beside her ear, a few inches away from her neck and from paralysing her.

"Now, tell me who you work for. Unless you what to be convulsing on the floor." She gulped thickly at his harsh words.

"I told you. I work at a grocery store! My manager's called Seo." She must have been telling the truth, there was no way someone would continue to lie with a taser to close to them. But that brought up the question of why?

Stepping back and allowing space between them, the flowing currents were cut off with a quick push. His gaze never left her, watching impassively as she grabbed her gun and went straight into the corner, as far away from him as was physically possible in their current predicament.

"Then why are you here? If you don't work for anyone." Noticing that her gaze was on his trusted aid instead of himself, he slipped it deftly into his pocket. There was no use in threatening her anymore.

"I c-came here because I heard this place was haunted." Blinking once, twice and then a third time, he stared straight at her.

"What?" He needed to hear that again, his mind unable to comprehend the utterly stupid statement.

"I came here because I thought this place was haunted and I wanted to check it out. But obviously I had to stumble across some sort of damn mafia fight and nearly get shot multiple times." The hiss in her words stood out brightly despite her expression remaining neutral.

Folding his arms, he gave her a condescending glance.

"Believable." 

Jaw going slack from his blatant disbelief, she glared harshly at him.

"…Are you fucking kidding me? You think I'm part of this? If I was, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be wearing a crappy backpack, or jeans and a shirt." It was true, her attire wasn't exactly suited to being an agent. 

"Then why do you have such a gun? A person working at a grocery store doesn't typically have a gun like that." At the mention of her chosen weapon, her hands lightly felt the barrel.

"Same reason you have a taser. Self defence. Besides, I didn't realise it was bad to invest in good weapons." The subtle lift of her brow irked him more than it should have.

"Alright. But you do realise you're in a building with two groups shooting at eachother, right?" Even if he was staying the obvious, he felt a need for that fact to be established. 

He found it quite funny how a normal person like her was just searching for ghosts, and instead found bullets and death. Which in itself was quite messed up.

'Thanks for the summary, jackarse." Rolling her eyes, she sank further into the cold metal walls.

"Cocky words for someone stuck in an elevator with me." The irony was strong in his sentence.

"I couldn't care less." This girl was proving to be quite the entertainer.

"Oh? Is that so?" The look of disgust almost made him laugh, but he managed to keep his sniggers confined under the carefully mastered mask of indifference.

"Don't you have places to be? People to shoot?" Shrugging, he leaned back against the wall.

"Not while I'm in here." It wasn't like he wished to be here, he would much rather be out there with the rush of adrenaline in his veins. Not cooped up in a metallic cage with a sassy female.

Pressing the buttons on the panel near his right side, the signature "door's opening" playing, only to open up and reveal solid wall.

"Wow. You're a bit trapped." The snarky remark was soon shot down when he pointed out that she was also in fact, trapped too.

Sighing lowly, her phone was produced from her back pocket, the screen's glare illuminating her sharp features. He could spot the reflection of the screen in her eyes, using that as a guide to what she was doing. 

Realising that she was on the the verge of starting a phone call, he snatched up her phone and proceeded to pocket it with unmatched poise.

"Hey, what the hell! Give it back!" He could understand the hatred on things being taken away. But he couldn't have her calling up the police, it would be incredibly dangerous to everyone around.

"I can't have a little snake slithering around my feet, especially not now." Flipping him off with a grunt, she couldn't help but feel a little bit petty.

"I was only checking for signal." Nodding sarcastically, brown tresses talking perfectly on his shoulders, he presented a grossly faked smile.

"Sure. It's not like you'll need signal anyway. You're not calling anyone." Knowing he was being irritating, he proceeded to ignore her pointed and rather sharp glare.

"I paid for that you know. So give it here." Her insistence only made him want to keep it more.

"No." 

"Fuck you." 

"Join the club."

Her jaw clenched at being treated like a child, but she decided against starting an argument on it. There was no telling what he was capable of and she would rather not find out, if she could help it with her mouth.

The small blue button on his wristwatch was pressed, the static piercing the dead silence for a few seconds before fading out into a very hyperactive sounding voice.

"Where are you? You can't just disappear like that, Madame Vanderwood. You'll give a poor agent a heart attack!" Sensing her confusion, he decided to address that matter later. Or preferably never.

"Stop messing around. I'm stuck in a damn elevator with some-" he paused to find the right words, his eyes grazing over her person, "stupid girl." 

Ignoring the loud "shut the fuck up" from the aforementioned female, he added "and it's stuck between floors." 

A sudden burst of laughter filled the small space, and it wasn't from either of them. In fact it was from the person on the other end of the call.

"Oh ho ho. Miss Vanderwood, you're not doing anything _scandalous_ are you?" An irked looked flashed over his face, his brows furrowed at the absolutely absurd suggestion. What would he be doing with someone he just met, and in an elevator no less?

"Shut your mouth and do your job before I decide tase you." A thick gulp.

"Y-yes ma'am!" And the call ended.

The shit eating smirk on her like however, did not.

"Interesting. _**Miss**_ Vanderwood." Oh how badly he wanted to slap that smug look of hers off her face. She was so similar to his partner and he couldn't deal with that migraine right now.

"I really fucking can't be bothered with this shit. Just don't speak." Seeing her nod, he could have sunk onto floor in relief.

"Alright." 

"Than-"

"Miss Vanderwood."

 

Two whole hour had passed since they'd been stuck in that godforsaken elevator, and it didn't seem like they were getting out soon either. If the increasing amount of time spent together was anything to judge by.

"Where the hell is your friend? He's taking a bit long." The sarcastic was strong, but it wasn't like he cared.

"First of all, he's not my friend. And second of all, hell if I know." Something about her manipulated the way he carried himself, despite only being in close proximity for two hours. Stoicness and indifference were the two main factors in his being, but they both seemed to crack straight down the middle with every word she dared to utter.

"Sorry, boyfriend then. I don't care, don't worry." Lips twitching at her idiocy, he refrained from fuelling the fire within her. People like her just wanted a rouse, and he had a lot of experience with such people. 

Gunshots sounded just above their heads, paired along with frantic voices and yelling.

Wincing at the sound of a scream of a likely dead man, her hues made contact with his.

"What the hell are you even fighting about? Because it's definitely not ghosts." Grunting in response, he only offered a very weak and childish reply of 'none of your business.'

"Uh, you kind of interrupted my ghost hunting time. So I may as well know. C'mon lover girl." She was fully aware that teasing him would only decrease her chances of finding out the reason for all the fighting, but it was entertainment.

"One more word and I'll break your phone." He held her phone with just his forefinger and thumb, dangling it dangerously with a dark glint in his eyes to match.

"You wouldn't fucking dare." No sooner than the words left her mouth, her phone was hurtled much like a bullet, towards the floor. 

The force of impact caused a shattering sound to ring out, making him inwardly cringe. Nevertheless, she managed to surprise him by grinning broadly and running over to her broken mobile.

"Loser! There's a screen protector. You broke nothing." Hiding the device away in her front pocket, he blanked.

"C'mon, tell me. I'm not a grass." 

"…You're fucking annoying." Her louder sounded so nice, so pure and unrestrained. A complete opposite to him.

"Well I guess my impression of you is just spot on." Opting to not respond, his watch began to blink, signalling an incoming call.

Answering it with a speed he didn't know he was capable of, he leant forwards to stare at the tickling hands, strands of brown falling in front of his face.

"Where the hell are you?"

"Sorry sorry! Just caught up, you know. Hacking into their database and such. I deserve a break, don't you think?" From the corner of his mocha coloured hues, he spotted her smiling softly. Probably at hearing the other agents peppy voice.

"I'll break both of your arms if you don't get a move on." There went her smile, vanishing almost as quickly as it came.

"So mean!" The wail transcended the walls separating them all, almost echoing with a taunting edge - a double edged sword.

"What a pain in the arse." Muttering to himself, he caught her once again, staring at him with that annoying smirk.

Her fingers twitched as she itched to speak, and he knew that she was just _dying_ to speak her mind. Honestly, he would have preferred if she kept her mouth shut. But since when did things ever go his way?

"I agree with him, Vanderwood. Maybe if you weren't 'so mean', he would be here faster. Probably scared him off with your meanness. Perhaps frown a little less." Quite ironically, his lips were pulled down into a less then friendly frown, practically screaming for space and respect.

Narrowing his eyes, he couldn't help but wonder why she cared. I mean, obviously she wanted to get out as much as him, but for her to give a single shit about how he presented himself was incredibly obscure. To him it seemed that way anyway.

"Shut up." Words tumbled from his lips in almost breathless whispers, his head hitting the surface behind him.

"I'm just saying. You would look a lot nicer with a smile, tell even without any expression!" She wasn't kidding. To her, he resembled a model straight out of a magazine. Perfectly sculpted face with the body and flowing hair to match, same his demeanour shook of any chance of a modelling contract though. 

Despite that, she couldn't help but admire him slightly, even if it was in quite a morbid fashion. Something about him was intriguing. 

'What have I done to deserve this?' Almost as if she could read his mind, she responded with a "because you're a dickhead" not even a second later.

Sliding down onto the floor, she checked her watch with a displeased pout.

"2 and a half hours." Finding nothing better to do, she proceeded to stretch her limbs and almost dislocate her arms, much to Vanderwood's disgust.

"Sooo, how old are you?" Why did she care how old he was? It wasn't as though she was going to get much from the information.

"Why?" Merely shrugging, her bright iridescent hues flashed under the harsh lighting.

"We've been stuck together for a while. And also you act like you're 70, I'm surprised you have no grey hairs." He scoffed at the childish deduction.

"23." Slapping a hand over her mouth with wide eyes, she looked like she had, quite ironically, seen a ghost.

"23? You sure don't act like it." Pride bruising at the minor poke, he retorted back at lightning speed.

"You're such a child. I wouldn't be remotely surprised if you were still a minor." He lived for the look of offense across her beautiful features.

"Piss off, I'm 20." 

"Surprise." Mockingly doing a 'jazz hands' motion, it was returned with the bird.

He was just a bundle of joy, wasn't he? No wonder his friend was so timid sounding with him, she thought while eyeing him from her small corner.

"How did anyone employ you with that attitude? Sourpuss." It was a genuine question, most employers wouldn't have employed someone like him for that sole reason.

"Colleges must be lowering their standards to be letting in idiots like you." A simper that she attempted to stifle appeared on her lips, hr body shaking from the effort of keeping in her laughter.

"Touché." And with that half spluttered word, she burst out into hearty peals of laughter, bewildering him. She was laughing at being insulted? She really was a strange one.

"I guess with your aesthetics you could get in anywhere." Startled at the less then provoked compliment, only a breath passed through him.

"Why are you here then? Busting some spy arse? Didn't get the drugs you wanted? Someone been talking shit?" Leaning forward so that her head was in her palms, her head tilted to gaze at him with doe eyed wonder.

"You don't give up, do you?" 

Her tenacity was a breath of fresh air, he had to admit. Not many people had the guts to just speak to him so casually, even if they were agents on the same level as him. And here she was, a normal civilian that just so happened to have stumbled across a huge gun fight, talking with him like they were long lost friends. And he appreciated that.

"Nah, I'm bored and there's a real life secret agent in the lift. Can you blame me for being interested?" The innocent pout of her lips would have fooled anyone that hadn't been stuck with her for almost three hours.

"Yes, since most sane people would keep their mouths shut and pray." 

"Well I guess I'm insane." Brushing his hair away from his face, he stared upwards at the ceiling that just seemed to blur into nothingness.

 

"3 hours." 

"What?"

"We've been stuck for three hours now." Groaning internally, his eyes drifted towards her bored figure.

She was quite the sight for sore eyes he had to admit. Eyes that displayed all emotions with bright and hard surges of light, lips that held a soft smile when they weren't used to sneer at him. Sharp facial features accentuated the rest of her being, almost bringing about a beautiful god with her presence. It was a shame that she was stuck with someone as dead as himself.

"What is it?" Her words dragged him out of his stupor.

"You're staring at me? What's up?" He turned away with a huff, his back facing her.

"I'm not staring." 

"Holy shit. You're a big baby, do you know that?" Shaking her head, she watched as his hand slid into his back pocket.

"Rude boy." The taser buzzed threateningly, his head not even turned an inch towards her.

"Arsehole."

 

She had taken to sprawling out on the floor, her bag used as a sort of blanket underneath her. Eye bags were beginning to develop from forcing herself to stay awake for so long, looking at nothing but the bright light of the elevator.

His watch started to flash once again, catching both of their attention. Tantalising chills of relief flooded the room as he answered feverishly.

"Where the fuck are you?"

"Just got caught up, sorry." The apologetic tone was much appreciated, but she couldn't help but idly retort, a hand thrown over her eyes.

"For two hours? Must be something big." The sting from her words seeped through the receiver.

"They asked for all the available agents to be rounded up, apparently the ring was expanding too quickly to contain." Even if he desperately wanted to be let out, he had to be civil and accept that the job took priority over him.

"Fine, but make it quick." 

"Will do! Bye!~" The lights began to flicker, most likely the power source for the pathetic broken building beginning to dwindle.

"Ring? What ring?" There was no way she would give up, not when the flames of determination licked at her iris' so defiantly.

"…A pedophile ring. We busted a paedophile ring whilst looking for something else." 

Not expecting him to so willingly give up the information, she quietened as she heard the true reason for his team's invasion. And by god was it a horrible reason. 

"Pedo's? That's fucking disgusting." Nodding grimly, he agreed.

"There's a ton of sick people out there." 

It always send shivers down his spine when he heard of them. He was an agent sure, exposed to the gruelling and gritty parts of humanity and their ways. But only a few times had he ever been so repulsed that he felt physically ill. Blood boiled at the thought of any of those bastards laying a hand on an innocent child, they should have been shot dead on sight. 

"So you're getting them arrested?"

"In simple terms, yes." There was so much more to the mission then just reporting time to the police. The agency didn't spend do much time meticulously planning out every aspect of the raid to only be ignored, no. That's why they were hacking into the database, exposing every disgusting and absolutely vile habits of the people in the cult like group. 

To him though, just being thrown in prison didn't feel like the correct punishment. He personally thought that they should have been tortured for years to until their minds were filled with rubbish and their words incoherent. 

"That's awesome. I thought that being an agent was mainly lurking around government offices and trying to grass up politicians." Her thoughts didn't white hit the mark, but they were pretty close.

"That is a big part of it." Smiling partly from her expert guess, she allowed herself to gloat in her self admiration before reality smacked her hard in the face.

"Shit." The curse slipped past her tounge, confusing him. So far she'd managed to keep calm and level headed, and _now_ she was cursing?

The phone screen brightened up again, the white light glowing on her features. 

"Relax. I'm checking what time it is." She snapped as she watched him ever so subtly adjust his position, his stance reminding her of a viper reading up for the strike.

"Why? Has the little baby got a curphew?" Finding that theory incredibly entertaining, he relished in her scowl.

"Shut up. My room mate is very particular," her eyes had slitted, much like a cats, with a coy grin to match, "how about you? Someone like you surely lives on their own."

His silence told her that she'd hit the figurative jackpot.

"Knew it."

 

6 hours ticked by like slow dripping honey, the hours melding together into mush and mess. However instead of being sweet, it was incredibly bitter and a blaring reminder to their situation.

"I should have been home two hours ago. I could have been out of here long ago if you would let me call the damn firefighters." Gifting her with a blank stare, he made no further comment. He had already explained why it wouldn't be possible for her to call the proper authorities.

"Your fault." Hissing at his hauty attitude, her fingers flexed with the effort of keeping her hands to herself and not colliding dead on with his overly zealous maw.

"How the hell is it my fault? You're the one who decided to waltz in and close the door when I was just about to leave the damn elevator." 

"Leave? Just so you could get shot? Don't make me laugh." The cold bluntness in his words only made her angrier, the exhaustion and frustration not mixing together very well.

"So what if I got shot? I'd rather that then be here." He was almost offended at the dripping venom in her words, but alas he had a heart of stone.

"Getting shot would make your pretty little boyfriend worry." 

"At least my ROOM MATE would know where the hell I was, instead of being cornered by you." Getting slightly tired of his rather inappropriate comments, she crossed her arms and glared poisonously.

"Why would he give so much of a crap about you anyway?" This roommate of hers sounded like quite the protective one.

"Because." Seeing her adament refusal on commenting further in the situation, he decided to let the discussion drop. It wasn't like it was benefitting him anyway 

"Don't you get lonely?" 

"No."

"Stone cold." Chuckling away at her own little home, he was inclined to turn away in vexation, his watch blinking for the umpteenth time for his attention.

"707? Where are y-" 

"I'm ----- into the -----. Files and hacking -----, be a b---. Sor---" The broken and mismatched pace of the words made it hard to understand, and the loud static like sound didn't aid either.

"Damn bastards don't give up." The murmur was only meant for his ears, but apparently she had already heard the pissed off grunt. Thankfully she had enough sense to deter the topic sway from dangerous waters.

"What do you do then? Run around all day?"

He deadpanned at her lack of knowledge.

"We're agents, not idiots." The vein in her jaw popped, telling him wordlessly about her bitten back remark.

"Mostly it's just digging around do a bit. Hacking and finding out things before doing any field work." 

"707 seems to be a hacker. What kind of agent are you?" Her innocent interest in his profession was something eh shouldn't have fed, but he couldn't help himself.

"I'm a field agent. Someone that's there for missions and anything else that requires actual people."

A soft 'oh' came from the girl, sounding much like a sigh.

"Isn't it hard? Being away from friends and family all the time, and no doubt there's so many secrets you have to keep." Loud screams echoed in his head, haunting him from within as his teeth ground against each other in an effort to calm himself. No use in getting worked up here.

"...I don't have either." Sympathy leaked into her smouldering gaze, eerily feeling like looking into a mirror as his own self reflected in her glassy hues.

"I may not understand how it feels to be an agent. But I do know the pain of being alone. And for that, I respect you. You're awesome and you should remember that." There was something hidden in her nostalgic stare, something that hit him hard and left him gasping for breath. 

She was just a normal person, so why did she look so much like himself? The dull ache and coldness in her eyes only vaguely masked by the fauxly displayed confidence and quirks.

Shifting uncomfortably in his soot, he forced himself to look away from her magnetic soul searching iris'.

Itching to change the subject, he decided to find out some more about her.

"What do you want to be?" By her analytical way of thinking and just how she presented herself, he knew that whatever she chose to be, she would make it big.

"I'm not too sure," her hand rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, "I'm focusing mainly on (subject) and (subject), but no clue where to go from there." That was relatable, the feeling of being in limbo and of being unsure about everything you were doing. He had experienced that so many times that it had become integrated into his being. 

"Don't fuck up." Chuckling lightly at his less than helpful advice, she scooted a little closer, until there was almost no room between them both.

A soft and tranquil silence passed through the small space, lulling her into a gentle sleep, her head resting on her shoulder as she slipped into unconsciousness.

 

Clang

Bang

Creek

The flurry of noises roused her from her light slumber, surprisingly she had been rather comfortable, even with just his shoulder as a pillow.

"What the-" Feeling a gentle pressure atop her head, she looked up to soft brown locks tickling her forehead. She sighed an almost inaudible sigh, quietly drinking in all of his features. He looked like a god, and had she not been fully awakened from her sleepy haze, she would have mistakes him for one.

Another sharp clang rang out throughout the elevator, vibrating the metal walls and making him wake with start.

"What was that?" Within a few blinks, all traces of tiredness had erased themselves from his stern chocolate hues.

"I have no clue, I woke up to it." With a roll of her shoulders, she slung the backpack over herdelf and stood up, wobbling on her feet from the sudden rush of blood.

"Shit, shit, fuck!" Cursing under his breath, she raised a brow and made no noise as he pressed his watch, a less than peppy voice filling the area.

"We had to evacuate. The bastards placed landmines everywhere since they know we've found out more than just their… Extracurricular activities. We captured most of them, but some of them managed to get away." The voice mail played back, the rasp in 707's voice loud and prominent.

"I'll come back, but I don't know how long it'll take to find my way around. Just hold on t-SHIT!" The loud shout punctuated the end of the message, bringing them both back to reality with a literal bang.

"Is that him?" 

He shook his head no.

"The idiot would knock, or call my name. This isn't him." The doors began to pry open, revealing dark attire and a hateful gaze, their mouth concealed by the black bandana wrapped around it.

What worried him however, was not the man, but the gun he had pointed towards the female behind him.

"Get down!" Barking his commands, the man was just about to take a step forwards.

That was until a bullet embedded itself into his leg, as well as flying past him into a corner, the doors shutting in his face and zooming up two floors.

"Did you just-?" Nodding, her gun was tucked away in her belt with a look of remorse in her eyes.

"I had to. There was another man in the corner aiming for you." He hadn't caught that and now consequently felt like a fool.

Her legs gave out, her body pooling on the floor as she rubbed her eyes with a tired yawn. He couldn't blame her, it was well last 3am.

"I hope he's asleep." Most likely, she was talking about her roommate.

Burying her head into her knees, she sighed loudly, shivering as a shot hit the top of the elevator.

"T-tell me about 707. Please." The desperation for some distraction was evident, and he wasn't enough of an arsehole to ignore that.

"He's an idiot that never listen to a word that I or the superiors say." 

"How so?"

"He never does his work and I have to threaten him at least five rimes to get him started on his projects. He doesn't clean up and lives like a damn pig." The description of the agents habits made her smiling, and somehow that made him want to carry on.

"He's a good kid though. He's hardworking when he wants to be, but his jokes are hell." Vanderwood absolutely detested the jokes the younger agent would crack, they were all so cheesy and corny.

Another silence filled the room, the only occasional breath being heard from her.

"Thank you." 

A look of utter astonishment flashed quickly on his face before dissipating into his natural neutral look.

"What?" 

"Thank you for being so nice and humouring me even though I know you don't want to. You made this confinement slightly enjoyable." 

Never before had he been thanked for something so... *mundane*. So it was only natural that he didn't know how to respond.

"You're weird…"

"Says the secret agent."

"Look who's talking, the ghostbusters are shaking." Snorting at his reference, fingers lightly removed bits of hair from her face.

Suddenly, his stomach began to growl snd he cursed every deity known to man.

"Are you hungry? I have alot of food." Seeing his judgemental stare, she added "and no it's not poisoned. When the fuck would I have had time to poison anything?" 

Tossing him a water bottle and a chocolate bar, they ate together in silence, another hour ticking by slowly.

 

"9 and a half hours. Holy shit, I'm so tired." Her complaining was the only thing keeping him remotely sane, the glare of the metal seemed to be ingraved into his mind, reflecting even when he closed his eyes.

His wrist began to glow and he almost slammed it into the floor with the force he used.

"Good news miss! We managed to disable the landmines and we're here! I managed to get some other agents to return with me to help you up. You'll be out in 30 minutes." He could have cried from relief, finally he would be out of this tin can.

Her expression mirrored exactly what he felt, pure unadultered glee if the cheek splitting smile on her face was anything to go by.

"Fucking finally!" With energy he didn't know a sleep deprived person could achieve, she enveloped him in a tight hug, heat rushing through the front of his body and slowly warming up the rest of him.

"What are you doing?" Internally screaming at himself for allowing his voice go crack, he glanced down at the top of her head.

"Giving you a hug? Don't you want one? I can let go." Uncharacteristic panic shot through him as a gap created between them.

"No..." Some part of him, the part that still managed to retain it's humanity, begged for the embrace, to keep someone with him forever. But obviously, with his professional, he knew that was fleeting.

Her touch was oddly comforting, the gentle weight of her head on his chest soothing. 

Slowly, his own arms began to encircle the smaller female, resting gently on her back as her hair tickled the underside of his chin. 

She had to say that she was surprised, she was expecting to be pushed away with a disgusted grunt and a glare. Not be welcomed. Maybe it was because it was they were both so sleep deprived that they just let it happen.

Finally, after quite a while, they separated upon hearing the sound of the elevator lifting and the doors opening.

Half expecting another armed male to be waited, her hand absentmindedly headed towards the gun until she heard the red haired man speak.

"Finally! That took way too long. Sorry for the wait, Madam!" His voice matched the bright one she'd heard not too long ago through the speaker, a smile appearing on her face as she took him in.

Although bags were prominent under his eyes, he looked incredibly cute, 'cute like a puppy' she thought.

Ambers hues connected with her own, his chapped maws lifting.

"I'm sorry you had to wait with him for so long. Would you like a ride home or something?" 

"No she doesn't. Your driving would probably kill her before she even gets halfway home." 707 pouted dejectedly, insulted at the lack of faith in his driving skills.

"Uh, what he said." Stepping out of the stuffy elevator with a relieved sigh, she quickly stretched all her muscles whike her eyes roamed the area.

"I should get home now. It was nice meeting you both. Maybe I'll see you again sometime?" She couldn't stop the hope in her words, watching him intently for an answer.

"Probably not Miss." He could see the flashes of hurt in her already tired eyes, but he forced himself to remain in his act of not caring.

"If that's the case. Then I might as well do this." Taking a couple of steps forward, she stopped just a few inches away from him, a heart stopping smile on her like, just for him.

Her hand shot out to grab his jacket, pulling him down to hr level before she placed a light and lingering kiss on his forehead, the skin tingling as she pulled away.

"Stay safe Vanderwood. Wouldn't want you hurt before we meet again. Bye." With a slight flick of her wrist, she had walked off, the darkness consuming her figure before a flash of light illuminated her path, her phone's light used.

"Well… Is there something you want to tell me?" The wiggling of his brows made Vanderwood's signature frown appear with lightning speed.

"Shut the hell up." Even with the annoyance of a partner at his side, he couldn't help but feel slightly kighter then he did before this whole ordeal. Like a great weight had been taken off his shoulders.

And he had her to thank for that.


	35. Like him~ || Saeran x Child GN Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains strong images of child abuse, read at your own discretion.

"God…" The whoosh of the wind echoed in his ears, ruffling his red and white hair as he walked, a minor scowl on his lips.

He had gotten out of the house, his brother being too overbearing to handle. Constantly popping up and making stupid jokes, it got quite annoying very easily.

His contact covered eyes scanned his surroundings, finding a sense of serenity in the quietness and gentle sway of nature. 

It wasn't like he saw much of mother nature during his time cooped away, so just being alone outside was a huge escape.

The sounds of birds tweeting reached his ears, prompting him to try and pin point the source, only to find none.

Deciding to not waste his time, he shoved his hands into his pockets and strolled around a bit more, taking in deep breaths of the fresh air.

Amidst the tweeting of the birds, he heard some rustling, and the faint sound of someone sobbing.

With Saeran being Saeran, he decided to not persue the noise, taking a firm liking to the phrase 'mind your own damn buisness'.

However, when the sniffling got gradually louder and the voice went higher, that's when he decided to fuck it.

"What is that?" He murmured to himself, it sounded too squeaky to belong to an adult or teen, but too deep to be a baby's.

He just hoped that it wasn't a trap, silently crossing his fingers and praying as he pushed aside the tree branches to the clearing where the noises were coming from.

There seemed to be no one around.

"Well alright then…" Turning around, he cursed his mind for seemingly playing tricks on him. 

"Sir?" The little voice startled him, making him jump.

'Wha-' He hadn't even seen the child move, nor had he even had the slightest inkling that they were beside him.

"Sir." The child reiterated, trying to redirect his straying attention back onto their form.

"Yes? What is it?" His voice came out harsher then he would have liked, he didn't miss the flash of fear in their dull hues.

"S-sir, do you know w-where I could stay for the night?" He briefly glanced at his watch, completely gobsmacked that it was nearly 9.

"Stay for the night? Go to your parents or carer." The kid's hand retracted quickly, like his trousers were hell itself.

Their head shook frantically, and they took multiple steps back.

"I don't want to go back. I don't. I-" Tears escaped their eyes, flying with the wind as they backed away, a hand raised to their eyes to try and hide the droplets.

Saeran's brows furrowed, what was up with them? He didn't really understand what was wrong with this child. 

That was until their too big sleeve rolled down, revealing multiple hand shaped bruises decorating their scarred and mutilated skin.

He knew for definate that a being as small as them was not capable of such horrific injuries.

"Hey." He walked gently up to them, their watery eyes peeking out from behind the arm.

"What happened to you?" Normally he couldn't have given less of a sh**, but something about them struck a chord deep within him. Maybe it was because they reminded him of his child self.

"I don't know if I can tell you that Sir. I'm sorry." They hiccupped, stumbling on their feet as they tried to head back to the clearing.

"And why not? I won't hurt you." He was growing slightly frustrated, but not at the kid, more likely at whatever had caused this fear in them.

Their head cast downwards as they mumbled something unintelligible.

"They'll hurt me if I do. They won't like it."

And straight after they uttered those words, they took off.

"What?" Before he even knew what he was doing, he found himself running after them.

'Why am I even doing this?' The entire aura of the small child was covered in mystery, just the injuries scattered over their arm (and most likely body) were a slight insight as to what might have been going on. 

Which was probably why he felt the need to go after them, he remembered that he was in the same situation, abused and unable to find help for fear of being beaten, or worse. 

This child was like him, and he wouldn't let them suffer the same way he did.

He saw them turn down a dark alleyway, the area void of any light. Pulling up his hoodie, he continued to follow them, slowing down to jog to keep up. 

He recognised the area as more of the more poorer ones, the cheap flats that no one would willingly inhabit due to their tendency to fall apart and leak.

Keeping a close eye on their small figure, he kept a few paces behind. His footsteps were light, (something he had learnt to do during his time at Mint Eye), making sure that they didn't know he was there.

He felt like a massive creeper, but shoved the feeling down, knowing that he was doing the right thing.

They turned another corner before stopping outside a flat building. 

They just… stared. 

Faint traces of hatrid were drowned out by fear, an audible gulp coming from them. They made no move to enter, despite there being nothing to block the door.

Suddenly, their eyes widened and they were tense, like they were ready to jet off at any moment. 

Just like in a horror movie, a hand reached out from the door, and narrowly missed grabbing them. They bolted, but it wasn't fast enough, their arm wrenched back painfully as their back slid against the tarmac, making him wince as he imagined all the scraped off skin.

Tears streamed down their face from the pain, their light shirt doing nothing to protect the skin.

"You fucking little rat. How dare you run away." The figure hissed, eyes glinting with anger.

"I-i wanted to play outside." 

"Bullshit!" It was clearly a male's voice threatening them.

The man leg lifted, before swinging to hit them as hard as he could, sending the kid hurtling into a wall, a crack coming from the impact.

"What's goin' off down 'ere?" Another voice accompanied the darkness, standing beside the man.

"The little bit** came back after running away, saying that she only wanted ta play." The other person sneered, walking over to grip the hair of the child, forcing their head up.

"Out playin', was ya? Stop lyin'." A hand came down on their already bruised cheek, causing a cry of pain.

'No wonder they didn't want to come back,' He thought, "this is fu**ing awful!' He was only holding back for the same of getting more evidence, he was sending these scum to the police, and then hopefully prison.

"Come in, we'll show you how much fun playing is. You'll never even think of going out again." The man picked up their left leg and began to drag the child, paying no heed to their painful cries and bleeding skin. 

Stopping the recording, unable to handle anymore, he stood into the light.

"You let them go right this fu**ing instant." His voice was calm and level, a complete contrast to the anger bubbling inside of him.

"Yeah? An' who are you?" The woman crossed her arms, her mouth twisted into an ugly frown.

"That's none of your damn buisness. Now, you have one more chance, let them go." He secretly hoped they would pick the hard way, his fingers were itching to beat them into a pulp.

"No, fuck off." That was it.

He snapped and lunged for the woman, who stood frozen in fear before she was sent flying across the floor.

"Hand them over." 

The man's eyes were the size of golf balls, and he instantly let go of their leg. 

"Here! Take them, just don't hurt me!" Their cowardice only fuelled his rage more, people like that always had disgusted him. Beating on people weaker then them to show dominance, but then when they were challenged, backed down like an inhured puppy.

He walked over to the child slowly, his eyes following how the man's hands slowly went behind him.

Saeran wasn't stupid, he knew that he was trying to pull out a gun. He wouldn't have been very smart if he was in a cult for that long and didn't know that.

"Pull out that gun, and I'll make sure you never live to see the sunrise." He warned, the man stood stock still; shocked at how he had been found out.

He scooped up the child quickly, holding them protectively to his chest while aiming a hard glare at the two criminals.

"You two are the bane of the earth. I hope to god you rot in those prison cells for the rest of your life, and then burn in hell afterwards." 

They were cornered anyway, the flat building was built near a dead end, and he was blocking the only way out.

"Move, and I will not hesitate to beat you within an inch of your life." He was being deadly serious. 

Quickly dialling the emergency line, he asked for an ambulance and police car, all while having a staring match with the two abusers.

They didn't even look ashamed, and that's what grinded his gears the most, they just looked sorry that they were caught.

The two came relatively quickly, and he was eleated to see them be stuffed forcefully into the police car, flipping them off with a smug smile.

Squirming in his arms brought him back to reality, they were so light and small they he had almost forgotten he was still carrying them.

"Thank you S-sir." Their gratitude was sincere, and he could see the happiness fill their once dead eyes. He just nodded, a tiny hint of a smile gracing his lips.

Paramedics came over, taking them from his hands to put into the ambulance and to the hospital. 

"Would you like to come with them Sir?" He thought about what his options were, one to leave and go home where his brother would surely ask where he wad and pester him. Or two, go with the child who was abused and offer them support he never got as a child.

Option two sounded better, so with a shaky nod he climbed into the vehicle and sighed.

The ambulance started up, and they looked at him, reaching for his hand.

He was reluctant to give it, not yet comfortable with contact, but upon seeing their hopeful expression he slipped his left index finger into their hand.

Sighing, he decided he should at least call the idiot he called brother, otherwise he would send out his own search party.

It rang a few times, before he picked up.

"I'm heading to the hospital. So don't create a mess." He hung up before a reply could come, slinking back into the car with an exhausted breath.

'Maybe one good thing did come out of leaving the house.'


	36. Sweets~ || Saeran x Fem Reader

The biting cold nipped at his red nose, Jack Frost's laughter heard chiming in the wind as he rubbed his glove covered hands together in an attempt to conserve some semblance of heat.

Cold breezes whipped his bright red hair in several directions, a ruffled messy bed head look that only made him further look like his twin.

Hissing under his breath, (the action producing clouds not unlike the ones hovering in the sky), he opened the door to the small child-like shop. 

The instant warmth and scent of peppermint and cinnamon made him sigh, the sound muffled by the thick black scarf that wrapped around his neck. The door shut behind him with a pleasant jingle, giving off it's own welcome. 

The store was his own personal idea of heaven. He had no idea that shops like these were still running, let alone operating so close to his shared abode. 

Rows upon rows of delectable treats sat on shelves surrounding him. Like a child in a candy store as some would have said, but in fact, he was an adult in a candy store. 

His brother Saeyoung wasn't too much of a help most of the time when it came to showing Saeran interesting things, but he really had proved himself by pointing out the gem of a store hidden within the bustling streets of Seoul.

Mint hues scanned the seemingly never ending supply of treats, eyes shining with what could only be perceived as joy. His ears barely heard the harmonious greeting from the cashier; whom he had to admit was very good looking.

With an almost giddy skip to his steps, he began to pick out the sweets he wanted. He was in no rush, nor was money an issue. He had his own small jobs that he did once in a while that earned more than enough for him to be able to induce once in a while. 

After a few minutes of careful picking and choosing, he had walked up to the pristine oak counter, the till looking worn yet regal and belonging. 

"Good morning, Sir!" The peppy tone any other day would have been disregarded, but right now he also felt quite pleased.

"Morning." Placing his bags of toffee, chocolate and other candies onto the counter, he allowed a small smile to grace the cashier.

With quick and nimble fingers, she had scanned the bags and grinned.

"That'll be ₩2000, Sir." That was surprisingly cheap for all the bags he had bought. 

Handing her the money, he scooped up his prizes, positively drooling. 

"Your change." Deciding that the money would be better off going towards the beautiful place he was in, he placed it into the tip jar and walked out, only faintly hearing the thank you that followed him.

 

He was back again. A little… Earlier than he had expected. It mostly wasn't his fault that all the sweets had been consumed so quickly, in fact his own twin brother was to blame for the rapid scoffing of the sugar lathered treats.

He had woken up to find the bags completely empty, and a passed out Saeyoung on the couch, his mouth covered in streaks of chocolate and powdered sugar. Most likely he had been drinking and craved something sweet, consequently polishing them all off and leaving Saeran with nothing.

The pleasant aroma of butterscotch and cake greeted him instead of yesterday's smell, making him wonder whether they made the sweets themselves. 

Glancing over towards the till, he noted that it was the same stunning young woman who had served him yesterday. However, at that moment she seemed to be busy sorting out the register.

He was quicker in his choices this time around, buying the same things from yesterday, but this time an extra bag for Saeyoung so he wouldn't steal his. 

"Good morning, Sir!" She seemed to recognise him by the glint in her eye, and he deduced that not many people must have visited yesterday for her to still remember him.

"Morning." His lips twitched from the use of the same greeting, but he speed at scanning didn't dwindle.

"That will be ₩1550." Unlike many other servers, her smile wasn't forced. A genuine simper that added the refreshing atmosphere.

Money was handed quickly, an additional few coins placed into the jar with a tinkle. 

"Sir, your change!"

"Keep it." And with that, he had left the store.

 

A week had passed since his last trip, and the weather had lightened up incredibly. Instead of bone chilling winds, a mellow breeze swept the streets. Not too cold, not too hot. 

The sweets had run out, tragically. But they were too good to put down. Sure he always liked sweets, but the ones from this store seemed to be infused with magic. And maybe it was something to do with him wanting to see the smiling server.

His dreams were crushed. Instead of a bright and sunny young female, there was a short man that looked like he would kill without batting an eye. 

Despite the blank and positively terrifying aura surrounding the man, Saeran couldn't deny that he was devilishly handsome. His jet black hair fashioned in a perfect undercut, smouldering grey eyes ready to pierce anyone that dared to look him in the eye. What he lacked in height we made up in looks.

Feeling oddly on edge, he quickly packed up his toffee and headed to the counter. 

The man made no greeting, only scanning the bag in silence as Saeran fidgeted uncomfortably. And that discomfort only grew when the transaction was taking much longer than it had previously.

The man's perfect brows furrowed as he pressed on the till, before a scowl crossed his lips.

"Damn it." The irritated whisper was spoken quietly, obviously not meant for his ears.

"(y/n)?" Much to his surprise, the female that had served him previously appeared from out the door.

"Yeah? What is it?" Her eyes connected with his own briefly, and with it, his cheeks flushed a light pink.

"The register won't accept my code. You try." With a nod, she pressed another few buttons and the cash drawer popped open without any further assistance.

"That damned thing hates me." With that displeased mutter, he had walked into the back, leaving only the two out in the front.

"Sorry about that, the register just doesn't like working sometimes." Smiling softly at the kind female in front of him, he daren't say anything that would have seemed insensitive. 

"₩1050 please." That was weird. He had bought the same amount of sweets as last time, almost thrre full bags. That was until he saw the -30% on the register. 

She had given him a discount. 

The money was passed without any hitches, and any spare change he had went straight into the tip jar. With soft smiles exchanged, he walked out with a healthy blush on his cheeks. 

And that blush only darkened once he looked inside each bag and found a holographic sticker and a small hard mint.

 

A few months had passed since he had found his own little slice of heaven. And his attitude had improved quite noticeably improved, in fact he rather enjoyed leaving the house to go to the shop now. Something that Saeyoung had noted and kept in his head. 

It was obvious that he was doing something, or seeing someone. Just who, was the question. And Saeyoung would find the answer.

That was the main reason why he had followed Saeran one sunny day, choosing to lurk in a hoodie just a few feet behind his brother - tailing him until he entered the small store. 

The hacker could see the novelty in the place, everything was so clean and pure. The only place that was like that in the bunker seemed to be Saeran's room, everything else being covered in his mess. It wasn't like he could help it, trouble just seemed to hang over him like a looming shadow.

Watching intently, he peered through the store window and watched as his younger twin conversed with a beautiful young girl behind the counter. Only until Saeran turned around and exposed his pink tinted cheeks, did he realise that this girl was the reason he was being so chipper recently.

'Hm? So she's the girl you like? Maybe I can become matchmaker 707, just for today.' A positively evil grin crossed his face, glasses glinting in an anime-esque fashion as he chuckled with promise lingering.

The plan was smooth and easy to follow out, preparation wasn't too far fetched either. A pair of mint coloured contacts and an outfit change weren't hard to come by. Especially with Saeyoung being Saeyoung. 

Internally, he was dying from nerves as soon as he had stepped inside of the detectably scented shop, meanwhile externally he was as cool as a cucumber. Perhaps all those hours spent conversing with Zen was improving his acting skills, for they were far superior these days compared to what they used to be.

"Good morning!" Her voice was soft and nice to listen to.

"Morning." Replying in a fashion that he found to be very Saeran like, she seemed to accept the greeting with humbleness, her head inclined downwards towards something under the counter.

Choosing one of his favourite treats, he packed up a bag and stood in front of the counter, a slightly awkward yet well meaning upturn on his lips.

"You look nice today, Mr Saeran. The coat suits you." The compliment left him flushing unintentionally, his cheeks feeling like the all consuming flames of hell. This one was a smooth talker, and a very good one at that.

"Thank you." She nodded, folding the top of the bag and sliding it closer to him. However, instead of allowing him to slip away, she held out her hand and signalled for him to wait.

"Hold on for a second, please." Her head disappeared under the polished and shining wooden counter, before reappearing with a single white rose and a sticker.

"Here you are." The shiny sticker glistened on his coat as she smoothed it down, fingers working deftly to make sure that it wouldn't come off anytime soon. The rose was also places into his hand, her own digits closing his around the beautiful flower.

"Thank you." She seemed positively ecstatic at receiving his gratitude, and because of that he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well, I was wondering if you-" The small bell rang, cutting off his sentence as he turned around, only to have his soul sucked out of his body.

"Brother? What the hell are you doing here?" He was done. Dead. Finished. There was no way that Saeran wouldn't skin him alive.

"Ah, nice to see you. I didn't know you would be here." Mint clashed with mint, eyes narrowed as both pairs stared holes.

"Brother?" Her confusion wasn't at all unprovoked, after all it wasn't like she knew he had an identical twin.

Saeran knew instantly what was up, as soon as his eyes had scanned and registered the clothes and contacts his brother wore, he would be stupid not to know. 

"What are you doing?" 

He looked away.

"Buying some sweets. What else would I be doing?" The glare that came as a response almost made him shrivel up like a prune.

"You know damn well that's not what you're doing." The gall Saeyoung had was astounding.

"I'm making a move for you." His eyes snapped to the female brhind his brother, who looked like she had just been sucked straight into a kdrama. Not that he could blame her, the entire situation seemed surreal enough to be part of one.

Ears burnt red at the tips with embarrassment as he realised that she must have caught on a while ago. He was just glad that scary man hadn't been present, or he may have just passed out.

"I don't need you to do anything for me!" His words were most definitely childish, but he was frustrated. He was going to ask her out anyway regardless of his brother's interference. Maybe just not so soon.

"Really?" The condescending raise of a red brow almost made him explode, but the sound of her soft giggle made all that anger dissipate with the wind.

"You were going to ask me out? That's funny, I was just about to do the same!" Plucking the rose from out of Saeyoung's hand, she walked around the counter and began to walk hot the flushed male.

"I think you're cute and would like to know you a little better. My shift ends in an hour." With a subtle wink, she went back around the counter and it took all he had not to scream.

Grabbing his brother's wrist, who now had a very smug smile planted onto his maws, he dragged him outside and covered his face.

"What the hell!" 

"What the hell seconded. She just asked you out." He knew what Saeyoung was trying to do, and it wouldn't work.

"Why would you do that?"

"You weren't doing anything, and I just wanted you to be happy. This shop has made you the happiest I've ever seen you." The care present in his tone made him want to curl up, but also made him want to cry. For so long he had believed he was nothing. not worthy of the air he breathed. And not he was going on a date with a beautiful girl and his brother was here and alive. no rivelry between the two.

It was like a dream.

Covering his face with his hands, he hid his face further when he heard Saeyoung chuckle.

"No time for moping now brother, you have a date to get ready for!"

"Oh, shut up!"


	37. What?! || Yoosung x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (f/n) is first name. I also have no idea on what the sporring games are like in Korea so I decided to go off with a prompt from tumblr.

"Ok chill bitch, I'm moving." She hissed at her overly excited friend who was busily pushing her down the aisles.

"Move quicker then, idiot." (f/n) grunted, mumbling under their breathe about how slow people could be and how irritating it was.

She cast a weary glance at her friend, her lips pursed as she stared at the food in their hands, as well as the huge drink that would surely set their bladder off in no time.

"We wouldn't have had to rush if you didn't pick up that fuck ton of food, you fat rat." They only shrugged, smirking as they balanced the fattening treat on one palm whilst weaving in bwteen others to get into their designated seat.

"Whatever. I know you're gonna to take some from me anyway, so quit complainin', ya freeloader." Knowing that to be true, she smiled and tapped her nose before sitting comfortably in her seat. 

The only reason she was actually here in this horrendously overcrowded stadium was because her friend had forced her to, begging her for a week straight for someone to go with since everyone else had told them to fuck off.

She would have continued refusing, but they brought up a strong and satisfactory argument.

That they were paying for food.

And who was she to refuse free food?

And thus this led her to her current predicament. Stuck in a row with a bunch of screaming fans left and right, and with a friend who was equally as crazy as everyone there. No doubt she'd be combatting a major headache after.

Strangely, the two seats to her left were empty, and no one seemed to be filling them. 

'Maybe I can place my things there.' Just as she pulled up her bag to place on the seat, two people hustled straight past her and plopped themselves right there on her almost stuff holder.

'Damn it.' 

Gazing at the two for a few seconds, she couldn't help but think the blonde sat beside her was cute. More so in a puppy and childish way then in one of romantic or sexual interest. The glasses wearing redhead was also quite handsome, but she then spotted the overflowing bag of a Honey Buddha Chips and she instead stared at that.

The huge uproar from the crowd drew her attention away from the rare delicacy, alerting her that the game had started. 

Apparently it was a football match, but she couldn't have cared less. Instead stared at the adverts behind the game and began to daydream, her mind running off the imagine thins that should not have been imagined.

"Oh my god! That was fucking awesome! Did you see that goal!?" The excited jeering from her friend caused one or two chips to fall from their hold, not that they noticed. 

"Yeah yeah." She mumbled, snagging the enormous drink and taking a long as well as bored sip as she watched the game below. What was so entertaining about watching people kick about a ball for 90 minutes anyway? 

She'd almost finished half the drink before she was suddenly elbowed straight in her side.

"Ah, fuck!" Cursing, she held her side and looked over to her right at the offender.

The blonde male she'd previously thought of as cute stared guiltily back at her, his cheeks aflame in embarrassment as he began to apologise at speeds faster than the flash.

"Whoa whoa, one sorry's enough. Don't worry about it." Offering him a chip as a sign of peace, (ignoring the glare she got), he took it with a shy smile and dipped his head.

"Hey, what's your name?" He didn't look quite so interested in the game either, in fact he looked rather uncomfortable. His friend on the other hand was whooping and cheering like it was his lifeline, his crisps scattered across the floor.

"It's Yoosung. How about you?" His voice was low and quiet, and she struggled to hear it over the noise.

"Aw, your name's so cute! My name's (y/n), nice to meet you!" His face gained a pink tint once more from the compliment, but he still grinned.

"Nice to meet you too." He looked stuck o. what else to say, so she took it upon herself to get the ball rolling.

"Your friend sure seems to love football." Nodding, he laughed lightly, the sound like tinkling bells. 

"Yeah, Seven's the only reason I'm here. He promised me some Honey Buddha Chips if I came." 

"That's a good deal. Shame he's dropped most of em on the floor." They both looked down at the floor and eyeballed the fallen comrades with sadness.

"The only reason I'm here too is because of (f/n). They dragged me over here with the promise of food too." She took a chip to demonstrate, sticking her tongue out at them as she waved it in their face to piss them off 

"Fuck off man." And it worked.

With a pleased chuckle, she flipped them off and turned back around to the blonde.

"Told ya. They're lucky I'm not too hungry otherwise I would have polished off everything on that platter." The whistle for half time went off, and she almost couldn't believe how fast the time had gone.

Looking up at the jumbotron, she noticed that they were now doing the kiss cam.

"Looks like they're doing that now." Yoosung commented, his eyes glued to the big screen which displayed sitting couples.

"Yeah." Unable to tear her eyes away from him, she just now realised how lovely he looked with the sun hitting his face that way. 

His cute button nose was highlighted, and his jawline strong. Yet there was this boyish charm surrounding him that made her want to grab him and cuddle him.

"Wow." The low sigh caught his attention as he looked at her curiously, an eyebrow raised.

"Is something wrong?" 

"Um, no. No, there's nothing wrong." Flashing a half grin, she faced forwards again and her eyes flickered to the jumbotron.

The couple just a few rows to them were shown, and she couldn't help but grin as they refused, the woman holding up a sign that said 'he's my brother'. Camera quickly panning, it went to somewhere on the other side if the stadium, the two kissing happily.

"Hey, can you get me my keys? I just dropped them." Tutting at her friend's clumsiness, she leaned down to grab the keys, only to be tugged back up by her collar.

"Bitch? The fuck? What are you doing? I was getting your damn keys." She growled, swatting at the hand in her neck.

"Get the keys later, look." They pointed to the giant screen where in the middle of a giant heart, her's and Yoosung's face were planted.

'Are you kidding me?' She deadpanned, shaking her head at the camera, only to get a slap upside the head.

"C'mon you pussy. Kiss him." She glanced at Yoosung who had turned beet red.

"Fuck you. Maybe he's got a girlfriend. I'm not a homewrecker." 

"Yoosung? A girlfriend? That's funny. Kiss cutie Yoosung, it'll be his first one, oh ho ho~." The redhead piped up, shoving the embarrassed boy into her side, while her friend did the same to her.

"Are you sure?" She mouthed and he nodded slowly, not looking directly at her.

Having half a mind to just kiss him on the cheek, her friends taunting words spurred her into taking his face into one hand and planting a passionate kiss on his lips.

Cheers erupted from around them and a blush covered her own cheeks as they parted, but that was nothing compared to how beet red Yoosung's face had turned, his hand truing desperately to cover his face.

"Sorry. I couldn't disappoint." Shrugging sheepishly, he shook his head and only peeked at her through his fingers.

"Don't be sorry. It was nice." Deciding to be cheeky, she leaned in closer and pulled his hands away from his face.

"You really are a cutie. Maybe I could get your number?" Finishing off her question with another unexpected and chaste kiss, he stammered out a meek 'yes'. 

She'd have to thank her friend later, thanks to them she'd gotten two kisses and the number of an adorable person.


	38. Jailtime~ || Saeyoung x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains a minor character death and some violence.

Breathless pants were the only sound coming from her lips, her energy almost fully depleted as she held the gun in her hand, her index finger slightly tracing the trigger.

How did she even end up in this situation?

The cold unfeeling eyes of her opponent almost matched her own, except the only difference was that determination flashed in her own in brief intervals. 

Here she was, facing off with a highly trained agent, and yet somehow she was still standing. Albeit a little grazed here and there from the punches thrown and received. 

"Why are you here?" Her stony monotonous voice showed no emotion.

"I don't need to tell you. All you need to know is that you picked the wrong side, and for that you will die." And she knew, just from that one sentence why she was being attacked.

She was only thankful that there was only one person fighting her. Sure she herself was trained, but she wouldn't be able to take on more than three heavily armed agents.

Grunting, she held her ground and stared them down. No way was she going to fall when she had just learned of their motives. And boy was she going to get a bollocking from a certain hacker.

"I didn't pick any side. All I did was quit. If you're so badly missing someone, go hire another person." A small smile covered their lips, but it held no malicious intent. 

"I knew you would say that." 

"Wh-" A perplexed look crossed her face and she was tossed backwards, thankfully having enough time to spring into a back flip.

"Your emotions really were your downfall. You left to go and start a life with someone with the opposing agency, and left us all there. How could you?" She was so incredibly lost, who was this person?

"Who the hell are you?" A bullet whizzed passed her head, narrowly missing her ear. 

"That is irrelevant. But know this, once I have killed you, Luciel is next." Her heart stuttered and the moments hesitation was almost fatal.

She had no time to think of anything, instead her natural instincts kicking in as unadultered rage flared up.

"Fuck you. You'll never touch him. I will destroy that entire company if you so much as glance his way." They only chuckled, pausing as they spun their gun around on their index finger.

"Really? MC? Do you honestly believe that? You can't do sh-" That was their mistake. She would accept anything thrown at her with a head held high. But threaten someone so dear to her, especially when she had no one else? That was an act punishable by death.

A choked sob escaped their lips as they fell to their knees, a shocked expression melted away to a bright smile on their face as they looked up at the expressionless female. 

"I never thought y-you would do it." Looking down at them, she kicked their gun far away and knelt down, crimson getting onto her fingers.

"I'm sorry. But I had to." The light lowly drained from their eyes as they slumped forward, dead.

Bowing her head, she placed a gentle kiss on their forehead and closed their eyes as a final tribute. It always hurt to shoot people, but sometimes you had no choice. She would stand by her actions, even if she was cast into prison for eternity. 

Grabbing her water bottle, she washed the blood off her hands and cleaned the gun, before placing it in their palm. The other firearm that had belonged to them was deposited deep into the ditch nearby. 

Closing her eyes with a low sigh, she listened to the wailing of police sirens that were surely coming her way.

 

Saeyoung stared at his screen, his mind barely able to process a single thing. She had just _killed_ someone because they'd threatened him. 

What was he even supposed to think? 

All of this was new information, but it explained a damn lot. Like why he could barely find anything on her except her name, which turned out to be fake. But to find out that she was a secret agent that had quit and taken up residence in a busy Seoul area? That was so incredibly surreal.

He didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

He had only tracked her down because she wasn't answering any calls, and she had also given consent to track her. There was only a faint signal and he had looked on one of the many private cameras he owned around the city.

The dullness on her eyes made him shudder, and he was unable to turn away from her slumping figure, even when she was pulled up and dragged away into a police car.

Exhaling shakily, he stood up slowly and began to walk out of the room. He was going to get her out and question her until there was nothing left between them. She owed him that much at least.

 

His hands shook as he pushed open the door, the female currently cuffed and standing at the front desk with a police officer at her side. On the outside she looked plain and indifferent, but he knew that inside she only wished to leave. 

The handcuffs were undone and she was taken in for questioning and mugshots. His heart lurched painfully as he watched her be treated like a criminal. He didn't understand why she didn't just run afterwards, she set it up to look like a suicide and he knew she would have gotten away with it. Just another question on a list of never ending ones. 

He hovered near the entrance for a while, before deciding to take matters into his own hands. This would be risky, but not as risky as some of the other things he's done.

Heading out towards his car, he hid inside and began to hack into the police registry. Finding her fake name, he erased all data and deleted her court hearing, making sure that they was no trace of her existence at all. 

Now all that was left was for the people on shift to leave, and he knew that it was only an hour or so before the officer and front desk staff were scheduled to leave. 

Even though he knew that she was going to be fine, he was still going insane with worry. But he needed to shuffle his emotions for a little longer, until she got out at least. 

Everything seemed to turn into a dull drag, the streaks of gold across the sky barely attracting his attention as he kept his gaze fixated on the dirty cream walls of the station. 

Finally, she walked out of the station, slight confusion swirling in her hues as she did so. Her hand was busy nursing the pink marks around her wrists.

Opening up the car door, he was unable to stop his glasses from misting up from unshed tears as he ran towards her. Thankfully she'd seen him running towards her and didn't think he was a threat. 

Her entire body was enveloped in warmth, a sweet yet salty scent drifting into her nose as her body was held tightly against his. Slight tremors wracked through her body and she realised that it wasn't coming from her, but in fact the male clutching her like a life line.

"Saeyoung? What's wrong?" He shook his head, red locks tickling her nape from the action as he sniffles.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" 

"Everything." Her shoulders slumped and she knew her gig was up, she knew that one day the secret would come out but she'd only hoped that she would have been able to hide it a bit longer.

"I'm sorry. Really." His hold was so tight, almoat suffocating her. 

"If you're truly sorry, you have to tell me everything."

"I will. No secrets anymore, Saeyoung."

"Thank you."


	39. Different~ || V x Child Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains slight spoilers

Soft light accentuated the pictures he was examining, the lighting adding a soft aura around the photographer as he checked for any faults here and there in his work. They were to be saved for many years after all, it wouldn't do good for them to have any defects.

Eyes stinging ever so slightly from the strain, but he dismissed it as something that didn't require a second thought. 

His beloved was in the living room, more than likely watching TV with the volume as quiet as possible, as to not disturb him.

The thought and gesture was kind, and he appreciated the concern and consideration she showed for him.

A knock echoing through the halls stirred him from his examination, he was slightly thankful for the distraction it served as. He wasn't sure if he could handle staring at his photos for much longer.

"I'll get the door, don't worry my love." Reassuring the blonde, he tentively reachee the door and opened it with a soft smile playing on his lips.

Instead of someone there waiting for him however, to offer insurance or to sell him something, there was only pitch blackness.

The chill of the cold winter breeze hit him hard, his skin gaining goosebumps instantly as he hissed lowly, looking around for a sign of life.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" The only answer was the soft rustling of the leaves and branches that struggled to stay attached to it's tree.

"Hm. I guess it was a prank." Witha. slight shake of his head, he turned to close the household door, when his attention was ensnared by something sitting just at the base of the door.

It looked like… A basket?

"Huh? What on earth is this?" Kneeling down to get a closer look, an astounded gasp passed his lips.

In the small blanket covered basket, lay a child no older than three years old. They seemed to be sleeping, small clouds of perspiration forming with their every subtle breath. Despite being covered in blankets, he could see the tremors racking the child's body.

"Hello? This isn't a funny joke. Please take them back." Again, nothing nor no one responded. 

The bitter cold was already seeping into his skin through his thick clothing, he could only imagine what it was doing to such a fragile being. 

"Poor thing. I guess I'll have to being you inside." With a shake of his head, his knees hit the floor of his hallway, his arms outstretched as he ever so slowly pulled the basket towards hinself. Once it was closer within his reach, with all his strength; he scooped it up and brought it inside. 

Shutting the door while balancing the still sleeping kid on his legs, his nerves were highly strong as he walked into the living room.

Instantly, he could feel the inquisitive gaze of his lover looking straight at him to answers - answers which he was unable to provide.

"V? What is it you have there?" Without any vocal response, he allowed the basket to slip slightly from his grasp and onto the beautiful mahogany and glass coffee table.

Naturally, Rika had looked over the edge, brimming with curiosity before a faint look of shock encased her visage 

"Is that really a…" He nodded, finishing her question for her without any further statement needing to have been said.

"What are they doing here?" He could only utter a small 'I really don't know' as a reply, desperation for answers growing with every ticking second.

That hunger was soon satisfied as a small sliver of paper was revealed, previously hidden by the hair of the unconscious child.

Sweat built up on his forehead, his heart racing as he unfolded the messy note with shaking fingers. He was not ready, at all.

Finally, after moments of fiddling around with the slightly yellowing piece of paper, he had manage to open up the message.

It was nothing if not haunting.

'Dear Sir or Miss, I beg of you, please look after ny beautiful daughter (y/n). She has just turned three and unfortunately I am unable to look after her any longer. My beautiful baby.

Please, make her happy. I cannot stay in this world any longer, but my only wish is for her happiness. I want my sweet darling to be okay. Take care of her, _please._ '

Blood splatters coated the bottom of the note and he could only imagine what had happened during the parent's last moments. The red along the letter the only faint testament to what could have perhaps transpired.

"Poor dear. What has happened to her?" Slender fingers brushed dirty matter hair away from the face of the likely orphaned girl. 

He was unable to offer any answers, the entire scenario was so bizarre to him. Why would someone leave their own kid on the doorstep of a strangers house? That was incredibly dangerous in it's own right.

"I think there may be something else." A small red envelope lay behind her back, fished out by the dainty movements that only he could achieve with just his fingers 

Inside was her birth certificate, and money…

The sneaking suspicion that this was no longer an elaborate prank snuck up in them both, eating away at his insides like that guilt that threatened to consume him.

"I sincerely doubt this is a prank anymore. I truly think this child has been abandoned." His words earned a look of sadness, a look that struck his heart and made his breathing stutter heavily. 

Rika's touch was fleeting against her cold skin, the pads of her fingers ghosting over the dirt smeared flesh with a melancholy look present in her ever expressive green hues 

"What on earth are we supposed to do?" The toddler stirred, their body shifting ever so slightly as she grunted softly from what seemed to be discomfort.

"The right thing to do would be to give her to an orphanage where they can properly care for her." Fingers weaving through matted locks, she looked up at him with big pleading eyes, begging him for his attention.

"Can we keep her? For one day at least. I don't wish to put this unfortunate child back out in the cold for the second time today." Rika's concern was genuine, her expression almost nostalgic.

He couldn't understand why someone would do such a thing. A child was a being of your own, create by you and was stop be cherished and loved, not to be thrown out into the streets like a rag doll with just a birth certificate and the whimsical hope that someone would care enough to take then in.

To him, it all seemed absurd. 

"For today. We can give her in tomorrow after she's been cleaned up. There's no need for her to arrive in a state." She only nodded, her movements paused as she held into the sides of the basket with an almost furious glint in her eyes.

He would have been lying if he didn't think it was incredibly haunting.

"How could the world be so cruel? To leave a sweet defenseless child out by herself in the world. Where she could be harmed and taken advantage of." His own slim digits dipped down to remove the sneaking strands of hair away from her face, revealing more of her face.

"It's so tragic. I only wish there was a world with no sorrow, no sadness and no betrayal. A world where everyone is happy." The bluenette's lips curled into a forlorn frown, his heart throbbing painfuly as he glanced down at the sleeping human.

To think, such a young person had already been treated with life's worst. 

"Such a world could never exist, Rika. Pain and happiness stem from one another." He knew that all too well.

"But it should! Don't you agree, Jihyun? A world where no one was ever sad, where everyone was your family. Doesn't that sound nice to you?" 

"It does, but it's not realistic. If only the world worked in such ways." They both glanced down at the basket, friend in their face as he spoke again, his voice considerably quieter.

"If only."

 

Two years ago.

His hand tightly held her small hand like a lifeline, as though he was afraid she would disappear should either of them let their hold loosen. 

The air was cold, reminiscent of that fateful night two years ago where his life had been turned around so quickly that he could barely breath. Even now, with everything so nippy and intense, he felt like he was in a dream.

A nightmare to be exact.

Nothing he did was dragging him out of the consuming cycle he was stuck in, his only solace was the little girl at his side in a small black dress.

The coffin was beautiful, decorated with the finest flowers available. But the most noticeable one, of the variety shown was the dandelion wreath placed on top. 

New beginnings. How he wished he could start over.

"Is Riri in there?" His throat closing up as he gave a gentle nod; the only guesture he could manage.

"Yes she is, my darling." The girl bristled against his leg, her hand tightly holding onto his finger as her lips formed a pout.

Everything was so far away from him. 

His happiness.

His love.

His light.

The only thing he had left to salvage was the little girl he had raised as his own for the past two years. He had been convinced by none other than Rika to keep her, her words like honey, sweetening him up and trapping him in within the hive.

Yet, she was one thing he didn't regret. 

A single tear slid down his cheek unnoticed until she had pointed it out.

"Papa? Are you okay?" Hands frantically wiping away the stray droplet, he dropped down to her level and held both her hands.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." Her face lit up, his heart's palpitations increasing with every second he was with his adopted daughter.

"I'm happy you're here Papa!" 

Like a broken dam, his emotions couldn't be contained. Simper evolving into a frown, tears slipped from under his closed eye lids as he held tightly onto her shoulders.

She remained quiet, her short arms reaching as far as they could around him as she embraced him tenderly. At only the age of 5 she had gone through so much, and her losses only seemed to increase; and he hated himself so much for that. All he ever wished to do was protect the people he loved, and he was unable to do even that.

Slowly, she was pulled away from the man crumbling into dust, and into the hands of the sincere looking actor.

"Come on honey, I think we should leave your dad alone for a while. He's not doing too good." Her eyes were wide, too innocent for this world as she sent a sad look to her father before being scooped into Zen's arms.

He was now alone. With just himself and his thoughts.

"I'm so sorry Rika… I failed you. All you ever wanted was to make people happy, for a world where no wrong doings would exist, a world for (y/n)." His hand clutched his shirt tightly, his breathing coming out in short pants as he struggled. 

"Perhaps if I did things differently, if I let you go." He felt a sudden tug at his the bottom of his trousers. 

There, near his feet, was an out of breath child. More specifically his child that had just ran away from Zen with the sole intent of being with her father.

"Papa? Why are you crying? Please don't cry!" Her exasperated and worried tone made him chuckle, despite the sheer agony he felt.

Lifting her up into his arms, he allowed her to gently dab away at the salty residue with her sleeves.

"I'm sorry." She shook her head furiously, not accepting his apology.

"Don't be sorry! Be happy!" How he wished to her to stay innocent forever, but there was no doubt that she would one day witness the horrors of the life he lived.

"I love you Papa." Her words were gentle, comforting as they were whispered next to his ear.

The pain in his heart seemed to lessen, the dull rhythm of her heartbeat lulling him into serenity as he whispered back a soft 

"I love you too, my beautiful little girl."


	40. Never~ || Saeran x Fem reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This lightly hints toward the reset theory. Contains slight spoilers.

Her dead eyes looked over the plains of land, the endless sea of green vegetation was quickly becoming an eyesore. 

The car jostled, causing the man beside her to inhale lightly at the movement.

"Don't worry V. I'll make sure nothing happens to you. I'm not as reckless as Jumin when it comes to driving." The bluenette chuckled, his sunglasses glinting as the sun's rays illuminated his figure.

"I don't think anyone could be as reckless as him." It was good that he was laughing, all he ever did was suffer. It was so sad to see, a beautiful young man falling apart because of another's actions, and his own limited experience costing him everything.

"God help anyone that is." Easing a smile onto her tense face, she directed her gaze back onto the road.

She'd gone through everything and a half to be here at his side when he needed it most. They were going on what was surely a suicide mission. 

They were heading into Magenta. 

Since day one of the route, she'd never really engaged with the other members of the group, choosing to focus her attention on the enigma of a leader, V. He'd always intrigued the female, making her wonder why he acted how he did.

So naturally she drew herself closer to him, trying her hardest to get him to talk and to meet with her.

And in the end it payed off. He'd given in on the ninth day of constant messaging and calls asking about his well being, and if he was doing okay and just broke. After that day, they were considerably closer, but there was still the certain few barriers that had to be over come.

The GPS voice spoke, cutting the silence, 'you have reached your destination'. Stretching her arms with a sigh, she opened up the door and let herself take a deep breath of fresh air, before heading to the passenger side and allowing him out.

She held his hand for a second longer, giving it a friendly squeeze before letting go, the action causing a small simper to spread on his lips. Something that would surely disappear during the time they were here.

"We should head in." V said gently, lulling her out of her hallucinating state.

"Hm? Yeah, we should." She followed his lead, making sure to not be pushy as she knew of his deteriorating sight.

 

V was able to get them both in without any detection, his hands shaking ever so slightly as he pulled it off. It was obvious that he detested such activities.

"You should head back." Her neck almost gained whiplash from how fast she'd turned around. Her smoldering hues narrowed, staring at him like he'd just spoke gibberish.

"And why's that, V?" Her tone wasn't harsh, just questioning.

"I don't wish for you to get hurt. None of this concerns you, so it would be needless for you to be injured." Of course he was looking out for her but not himself. She couldn't force herself to even feign anger towards him.

"Oh Jihyun. You really shouldn't care about me, I'm not worth it. You're the one who needs every bit of support, save your kindness for yourself." His head turned away from her, cheeks dusting a light pink as he huffed.

"Don't dismiss yourself. I wouldn't be here if not for you." His smile almost made her feel weightless, but there was a small voice in the back of her mind that kept telling her that he was wrong, that he would have come here regard less.

"Thank you." Turning her back to him, her hands clenched into fists that he was unable to see.

"If we survive this, you have to get that surgery. swear upon my life." 

"I-"

"Swear it." He knew she wouldn't give up, so he only had one option.

"I swear." She nodded, triumphant 

"I'll be going. But damn it V, stay alive." 

"I shall try my very hardest." Even now he managed to make her mood lighten the tiniest bit, something only he could achieve after all this time.

She began to walk away, but not in the direction of the exit like she had insinuated, but instead towards the room of someone who deserved to be free.

 

She'd been here many times before. But it was always for the wrong reasons, her choices led her here to be tortured, drugged or killed. But she never blamed the person who did those things to her, rather herself and the main perpetrator of this sick game that she was an unwilling participant of.

Wondering around, she found the door that she was looking for. The steel block has multiple iron rivets stuck on it, along with a faint few red droplets that she suspected weren't rust.

'If I die, there's always another chance.' There was barely any regard for her own life, she knew that she would just come back and be stuck in the loop.

Fingers delicately touching the door, she pushed it open with minimal force. The hinges creaked and squeaked, making her cringe inwardly. 

His head snapped up, his brightly contacted eyes ensnaring her gaze. The chair scraped backwardly loudly, the sound bouncing off the walls like a taunt as he stood in a defensive position.

"Who the hell are you?!" She almost found it amusing how the one who started this was the one asking that question.

"I'm (y/n). Better known as MC." Her response only seemed to make him more on edge, his fingers twitching at his sides.

"How the fuck did you get in? The security didn't detect you!" Eyes staring straight into hers, she only offered a mere shrug.

"I have no clue." The vague answers she wss putting out made him curse, not noticing her figure inching closer towards him.

"Come with me." She spoke, hand outstretched as he gave her a disbelieving look.

"What?"

"Come with me," She repeated, "you'll be safe if you come with me." His hand inched towards the gun on his belt.

"Please." Her voice almost broke, her eyes not missing the way he clutched his gun like a godsend.

"Get out! Get the hell out or I won't hesitate to shoot!" Knowing full well he would go with his word, her hand dropped. Yet she carried on moving towards him.

"I'm not playing around." He warned, gun pointed for her heart.

"I know." She whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.

"But I don't care. I've worked so for so long to get here. I can't have this slip through my fingers. I've been through everyone, DAMNIT!" Her voice rose unintentionally, her chest heaving as all her emotions poured out from their confines.

"I can't go through another reset, I refuse to. I'm teetering on the edge of my fucking sanity here, Saeran. I'll go insane if I see another text message!" His expression was one of confusion and fear.

"You're fucking crazy!" She couldn't help but laugh humourlessly at the irony of his words.

"The good ends. The bad ends, the 'true' ending. All of them, I've done them all." Her fingers formed quotation marks, her grin dropping for a frown.

The gun fired, only just grazing her shoulder. His hands shook, unable to get his head around a word that she was saying.

"Saeran, this isn't redemption or paradise. You're so fucking dosed up on drugs that you can't even keep still. She's made you believe he abandoned you, he never has. He loves you." Another shot, but this time it hit the side of her waist. 

"What do you know!? He left me, betrayed me and left me with that bitch! The Saviour offered me Paradise and a true family. Something he never was!" Blood coated her clothes, dripping down her side and onto the floor in little drops, yet she didn't allow even a grimace to pass her lips.

"Saeran please. I know, I know so much more than you think. But you're in pain, pain disguised as care and security. It hurts to see you like this, I beg you. Come with me." He made no move, only his bottom lip twitched.

"You can kill me right here and now. But I'll always come back, again and again. For you, always for you." Her none bloody hand raked through her hair.

"Fuck this damn game. I love you. You're the true ending, and no amount of shitty resets will change that." Taking a deep breath, she could feel the effects of blood loss taking place.

"I've always been interested in you. From the time I said no to putting in the password when I was first dragged into this mess, to now after the hundreds of times I've done these 11 days. Saeran Choi I love you, and I want to help you." His grip on the gun began loosening, his hand talking to his side as he stared at her soundlessly with wide and glassy eyes.

"Please, come. I'll care for you, I'll go with you to therapy, buy you all the sweets and ice cream you can imagine. Just take my hand." The gun dropped the floor with a loud clatter, unshed tears now falling from his eyes as he took her hand, his cold palm meeting her warm one.

"You won't hurt me?"

She smiled sincerely for the first time since she was put in this position.

"Never."


	41. Talent~ || V x Fem Reader

Bass pulsed through the house, the tremours reaching from from his spot outside the front door. The oak door trembled from the powerful vibrations under his fingertips.

'What on earth..?' There was no reason for music to be so powerful, there was also the fact that neither of them ever played music on the stereo system; the only exception being the soft and soothing music that would sometimes be put on to soothe both parties.

The only person that could have been inside was his beloved, but she was supposed to be at work?

"Is she playing music?" His question was not left without answers as he pushed open the front door, the slight creak drowned out by the music.

Shutting the front door, he adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose and walked towards the living room, his camera's weight resting gently atop his chest.

The sight was something he wasn't prepared for. 

There, in the centre of the room, stood his love. Although he could only see the back of her, the raw power eminatting from her made his hands subconsciously head towards his camera.

The music slowly halted, before a much more powerful one began to play. 

*I want a little fire, now give me the light*

Her movements were so sharp, hands and feet hitting every beat seamlessly. Despite the dance being more of a hip hop genre, he couldn't help but admire the grace she possessed as she transitioned from one dance move to the next.

*I want a little fire, now give me the light*  
*I want a little fire, now give me the light*  
*I want a little fire, now give me the light*

The deep bass and treble from the song made his insides shake, but it didn't seem to phase her in the least. Instead it only added extra bounciness to her steps and routine. 

Now give me the light, now give me the light  
I want a little fire, now give me the light  
I want a little fire, now give me the light

Unable to resist, he snapped some gorgeous pictures of the dancing female. The sunlight hitting her beautiful hair and feeling her face just right as her body moved with fluidity.

Now give me the light  
Bun up the dance, bu-bun up the dance   
Bun up the dance, bu-bun up the dance

That was until she tripped up over her own feet and fell onto the carpeted floor with a loud curse.

"Son of a motherfucker!" Hissing at her injury as she clutched her stubbed toe, she heard someone rushing towards her from behind.

"Are you hurt?!" Turning off the speakers with her free hand, she faced the worried photographer with a slight flush of embarrassment on her face.

Spotting the blinking red light of his camera, she only gained further embarrassment.

"V? Did you happen to see that?" 

"Which part, my dear? Where you fell, or your absolutely mesmerising dancing?" Grimacing, she tucked her injured foot under her body and sighed.

"Both it is." with a shake of her head and a slightly awkward smile, she spoke louder.

"Sorry about that. I got home a bit earlier than usual and I just felt like revisiting dance. Obviously I should forget it." Chuckling, he sat down beside her and gently reached out for her injured leg.

"I, for one, think you looked absolutely stunning."

"Oh hush." Circling her wrists and ankles, she sat up on her knees and guestured towards the camera hanging around his neck, one that was still on.

"Do you take pictures? V, you know how much I don't like pictures of myself." Leaning into her side with a soft smile, he picked up his beloved device and began to scroll through the pictures he had taken - finding enjoyment in the expressions she made once seeing them.

"I'm sorry, my darling, but you looked too pretty to pass up on." Pushing him away jokingly with her hands, she buried her face in her hands to try and hide her flushed cheeks.

"Stop being such a flirt." 

Blinking, he thought of a favour he wanted to ask of her.

"Could you perhaps, dance for me once more?" Her head lifted from her hand with a look of wide-eyed shock. As though she truly found it hard to believe that someone would have actually enjoyed watching her dance.

"I don't know, V. I haven't danced for ages. Maybe tomorrow, when my foot doesn't hurt like a bitch. It's not like it's good anyway." He deflated at her self deprecation, before shaking his head with firmness.

"Quite the opposite. You have a talent." Thankfully, she perked up at his compliment.

"Really? Thank you!" Suddenly, she was very close to his face; not that he minded of course.

"But do you know what my true talent is?" 

Deciding to hunour her, he grinned as he spoke a soft "what is it?"

Within a second, her soft lips had made contact with his nose, placing a chaste kiss before bopping it gently with her finger with a sly smile.

Instantly, his face flushed a subtle red, his cheeks heating up as she chuckled at his embarrassment.

"My true talent is making my beautiful boyfriend blush."


	42. Elevator Endeavours~ || Saeran x Fem Reader

Fuck, why did her alarm have to be so untrustworthy? It was like the world had a personal vendetta against her, as thought someone was purposefully trying to get her to lose her job.

And god knew she needed to keep that job more than she needed anything else.

Running towards the rapidly closing elevator, he managed to, just by the slimmest of margins, to keep the doors open by jamming her foot into the tiny opening.

With a relieved sigh she stepped inside of the lift and pressed the ground floor button. Thankfully, no elevator music played, allowing her to silently plan the quickest route she could take to run to work.

The lift began to slow down as it descended, stopping on floor 14 to allow someone to enter. She didn't really mind, they probably just wanted to get out of the building too.

Glancing down at her watch with unadultered anxiety, a loud and scary screeching making tqhem both look up and forward.

"What the-" Her fingers pressed against the 'open doors' button almost frantically, yet nothing happened. 

The bright and now almost blinding red letters displayed the floor number '13'. Fitting for the type of luck she seemingly possessed.

Letting her fingers trail away from the open doors button, she found herself pushing on the emergency and the bell button with a sense of urgency.

Nothing, just some pathetic crackling of static before it died out completely.

Lips pressing into a straight line, she oulled out her phone and began to do all the number for the emergency services when she realised there was a big fat "no service" sign just sitting nonchalantly on the top of her screen.

Oh how she wished to scream out loud.

"Uh, I'm really sorry to bother you, but could you maybe check to see if you have service?" The male, that was previously looking blankly ahead at the closed metal doors, turned slowly towards her. 

His bright hues snapped straight to hers, stealing her breath away with the intensity.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of being stared at, he nodded and pulled out his phone, the screen's light hitting his pale complexion as he glanced over it.

"No." The response made her internally groan, how was she supposed to get to her job now? But now that she thought about it, it was probably karna coming to bite her hard in the arse for making her friends piss herself from fright.

Couldn't say she regretted it though. Yet anyway.

His voice was slightly off sounding, however she assumed it was becayse of the black mask he was wearing, it did cover his mouth and most of his nose after all.

Now that she was able to look closer at him, she realised that his outfit was the prime example of edgy. His jacket slipping halfway his arm down to reveal his tattoo was just incredible, and the choker and bracelet adnorning his neck and wrist just added to the overall beauty of the ensemble.

Despite his punk outer appearance, he himself was quite attractive, she had to admit. The clothing style just seemed to compliment him somehow, the black of his jacket a nice contrast to his beautiful snowy white hair. 

Something about his aura was inviting, yet guarded. The kind of person she would have liked to befriend had she not been running 15 minutes late for her job.

With the utterly depressing realisation that she probably wouldn't be getting out to a while, she decided to speak. A choice that could have been for better, or more likely, for worse.

"Sooo, hi I'm (y/n)." The awkwardness that followed quickly after made her want to stab herself good, the silence crushing her soul and spirit with every passing nanosecond.

Opting to stare at the door and curse everyone and everything, she heard his rough yet somehow pleasant sounding voice.

"Unknown." Taking a fee seconds to fully comprehend what he had said, she realised he had just offered her his 'name.'

It was a bit odd how he didn't give his actual name, but she assumed it was just privacy reasons. Besides, it wasn't like she cared much anyway.

"Unknown, huh? That's cool." A soft smile graced her lips as she faced him, her face not showing even a glimmer of the worry eating away at her insides.

That didn't last long though. 

As soon as she turned towards the metal doors, her smile transformed into a frown, brows creasing as her stare burned into the steel.

"You're jittery." A shock went straight down her spine from fright. He really did know how to seem intimidating despite having such a ethereal appearance.

"Hm? I guess so. I'm going to be pounded by my manager for being late, so can you really blame me?" He shook his head no, curls bouncing endearingly as he did so.

Her back against the wall, she slid down and sat on the floor, legs crossed with her bag placed in the space. 

The ten minutes of silence, only punctuated by breathing, ticked by slowly, almost driving her insane.

"Try pressing it again." Sitting up on her knees, she pressed once again on the emergency and open doors button only to hear static.

"Damn." His speech was muffled greatly. And she wouldn't have heard it had it not been so quiet.

He seemed to move so quickly and so fluidly, not a single mistep as he walked towards her, his hand leaning against the wall for support as he reached over her head and desperately hit the buttons. Nothing different happened.

"This is bullshit." The low hiss caught her attention and she couldn't help but follow along with his movements. 

Fingers grabbing at the slit in the middle of the doors, he began to pull as hard as he could, the door groaning from the pressure. It wasn't doing much good however, barely moving away from it's counterpart.

Seeing this positively pathetic attempt, she decided to scramble up and give him a helping hand.

Latching onto the opposite door, a mutual bond allowed them both to pull as hard as they could at the same time, skid marks sure to be left from their shoes with the force.

Finally, after much exertion, the doors slid open.

Only to reveal a wall.

"You have to be fucking kidding me." Clutching her head with her hands, she went back to her former spot to mope about the very high probability of her job being lost.

A grunt dragged her out from her self loathing however. The grunt coming from him kicking the wall in frustration. As much as she could relate, she knew there wasn't much use being angry.

"Hey hey, no need for that. Come on, we'll get out. How about we sit down and think of something?" He seemed to contemplate the offer, his eyes cast downwards as he took a few seconds to think of what to do. At last, he seemed to make up his mind and sat down beside her, keeping a respectable distance between himself and her.

On a whim, she hit the ground floor button. Fully expecting it to do nothing, a gasp tumbled from her lips as a screeching sound began. For a few seconds she felt her body floating from the absurd speeds of the downward falling elevator, before landing hard as "floor 11" flashed brightly.

"Holy shit. Let's not touch those again." He nodded furiously, mouth sealed tightly shut from what she assumed was shock. 

The atmosphere was tense, anxiety creeping into her mind and sticking itself like glue into the back of her thoughts. Just sitting quietly by herself here was making her anxious, turmoil twisting in her gut.

"Unknown, do you live here or are you visiting?" The only way she could chase off the thoughts invading her head was by talking, and talk she would do.

"…Visiting." Despite him not speaking much, she couldn't help but think his unrestricted voice was cute.

Suddenly, a loud rumble echoed off the metallic walls. And a flushed Unknown was to blame for the weird sound.

An amused simper was unsuccessfully held down as she glanced sideways at him.

"Are you hungry? Would you like some food?" He shook his head, but it was probably from modesty since his stomach had growled again.

"I have sweets if you would prefer them?" Reaching deftly into her bag, she pulled out two big packets of gummies and chocolates.

"I had a bit of a craving this morning and decided to stock up. I guess it came in handy for something other than giving me diabetes." Holding them out in front of her, she gestured for him to take them. 

His gaze flickered between the two, wondering which to take. To which she responded with placing them both gently in his lap, but not before taking some chocolates for herself.

"Knock yourself out." That was permission for him to slowly pick out the chocolates he wanted, his grace enviable as he nimbly chose picked them out. 

 

They had been in there for 3 hours now, no signal nor sign of rescue. 

"Ugh." Head hitting the wall behind her, she felt someone staring at her.

"What? Is there something on my face?" A self conscious frown appeared on her face as her hand slowly went up towards her face. 

Pressing a thumb to the corner of his own lips, she wiped the chocolate off the corner of her lips and thanked him graciously.

Being cooped up for so long was grating on her nerves, and she needed some kind of rush to get her going. And she saw just the way to do that.

Normally she wouldn't have dreamed of doing such a thing, but it was probably the pent up energy that made her do it, (as well as her own will).

Getting onto her hands and knees, she began to slowly advance towards him, stopping just in front of him with little to no space between his legs and her arms.

Reaching up, she leant towards him with a flint in her eyes that made him freeze. Her soft hands reached towards his face, thumb swiping softly across his bottom lip before she moved away.

"You had chocolate on your face." The nonchalent statement was a stark contrast to the rampant thoughts in his head, his face flushing a light pink as he hid his face.

"What's wrong? Are you ill?" The subtle tease only served to make him more embarrassed. 

"No…" Feeling proud of herself for getting so flustered, she nestled back into her seat beside him.

"Your hair is really beautiful." The compliment was true, she had admired his hair since the moment he'd walked in. 

"Um, thank you." A more peaceful silence settled. For people that had only met a few hours ago, they were pretty calm being around each other. Something which was especially surprising when you examined both of there personalities. 

"Sorry, I know I'm not the best person to be stuck in a lift with." He paused for a moment before responding. 

"I would rather to be you than him." She bad no idea who he was referring to, but the subtle compliment chuffed her to no end.

"You're not so bad yourself. You're nice and pleasant on the eyes." His head lifted from it's perch on his arms, gazing at her with amusement glittering in his ensnaring iris'.

"Are you flirting with me?" Looked like she was caught.

"Would you mind if I said yes?" Fiddling with her nails, she waited for him to speak.

"No." The reply sent her cheeks flushing, using her bag to hide her embarrassingly big smile.

"Why are you so shy now?" Her bag was pushed away, discarded on the floor beside her feet. His arms encaged her as his face neared closer, just mere inches away from hers. Feeling his warm breath hitting her nose, her blush deepened and she willed herself to melt into the wall.

"You would be perfect." The statement confused her.

"Huh?" Despite feeling her cheeks burn, she needed the clarification and being shy wouldn't do anything. 

"The perfect candidate." 

"Candidate? Do you work in a shop or something?" Climbing off her, he sat back down at her side. 

"You could say that." Something about that brought an air of mystery, only adding to the shroud shielding him.

"Do you work?" 

"Yes, as a computer technician." It wasn't a far cry from what his actual 'job' was.

"Oh, that's so cool! I can barely work my phone at times, let alone a computer." She knew she must have looked like a fool, grinning at him so much, but she couldn't help it.

Some crackling began to come from the button just seconds before a male voice came through.

"Hello?"

Hope filled her quickly and she could have kissed the wall from happiness.

"Hi! We're kinda stuck in this lift and there's no way out." More crackling that seemed to get progressively louder. 

"Ok miss, wher-" The line cut off.

"Fuck!" The irritated shout slipped off her tounge.

"Disconnected." He murmured, reached across her to access the panel, his chest directly in front of her, forcing her to lean backwards and gain further sight of his impeccable visage.

"Are you ill?" The mirroring of her earlier spoken words made her nose scrunch up, head turning away from him as she pouted.

"This is ridiculous." Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes and eased her tensed shoulders. There was no use in getting worked up, she had complete faith that she would leave.

"You're so… Happy." Cracking open one eyes, her head tilted towards him, smirking lazily at him.

"How so?" 

"You keep smiling. And to be frank, there's no reason to be smiling." He seemed so melancholy as he said that, speech smooth yet slightly monotone.

"Well, I guess when you have the sun sitting beside you, you can't help but smile." His eyebrows raised, he couldn't believe this girl. He had only just met here and her she was flirting away like it was her second job. But he had to admit, she was quite good at it.

The way she spoke reminded him of his Saviour, but also somehow… Different? Her mannerisms were different as well as her being. But her kindness shone through brightly, encompassing him and making him want to speak - something not many people managed to do.

"Miss? Are you there?" The man's voice came through again and they both exhaled.

"Yeah."

"Where are you?"

"The platinum state bui-" Her back was pressed against his chest as his hand pressed tightly on her mouth, stopping her mid sentence.

"Shhh. Do you hear that?" Listening closer, she realised that a dialling tone was playing, and it wasn't from either of their phones.

"Someone's messing around with the elevator." The thought that someone was purposely fucking around with a lift that had people inside terrified her.

"Hello? Mi-" He pressed the button, cutting off the man.

It was like a scene from a horror film. Sparks flew inside of the lift as it cracked and groaned, jolting up and down in tiny increments before shooting upwards at an insane speed with the smell of smoke drifting though the open doorway.

"Oh my god." Instinctively, her hand grasped his tightly, her just glad to have someome else in there with her, even if they weren't well acquainted.

He looked down at their joined hands, a weird tingling sensation crawling up his arm. He couldn't say he hated it though, it almost felt nice to have someone so close. 

"Sorry, I just really hate being confined." Flashing images of being chained and locked in rooms made his grip tighten, he could understand.

Using just one hand, she opened up her water bottle and begin to down at least half of it, not that he blamed her.

"Would you like some?" He shook his head, promoting her to place it back into her bag, just before she went limp and her entire body slumped.

 

The sensation of sprinkled water on her face tickled her, forcing her up from her unconscious state. Upon opening her eyes, she realised she was lying down with his face just hovering a few inches above her.

"Ah shit." Rubbing her head tenderly, a yawn escaped her.

"How long was I out?" 

He merely shrugged in response, an almost whisper of "2 hours". 

"What?! Why didn't you wake me up before?" His arms lay crossed, knees brought up against his chin.

"You looked peaceful." Blinking, she couldn't think to anything to say back, instead just shuffling closer towards him.

Strands of hair spilled over her fingers like water as she fiddled with the ends, her bottom lip bitten as she tried to drag herself away from reality. 

It failed, only gathering his attention as he wondered what to say. 

Tell me about yourself." Brows furrowed as he turned to her with confusion.

"Why?" 

"Why not? We've been stuck together for 5 hours." With that 'faultless' logic, he couldn't really counter her advances, and instead dipped his head in agreement.

"Depends on what you want to know." He had no clue why he was willing to open up to her.

"Age, favourite colour. Generic things." He could work with that.

"I'm 21."

Her gasp of awe confused him, and that confusion only grew more as she leaned over towards him on all fours.

"I'm 20. That's so awesome! I thought you were like 25." Why she was so happy, he couldn't understand. But he did find it cute.

"I don't favour a particular colour." All colours seemed dull to him, but the colours she wore were beginning to appeal.

"Ice cream flavour?" 

"Mint." The grin that threatened to split her cheeks worried him slightly, eyes narrowing as his arms shot out to stabilise her.

"Vanilla is good, but mint is amazing. Much like you, so makes sense you have mint eyes." 

He chuckled softly, unable to hold it in.

"Quite the smooth talker."

"If I have the chance, I may aswell take it." Even if her words were only surface level, they had much more meaning to him.

Her stomach growling signalled it was time for food, and instead of sweets she pulled out what was supposed to be her lunch at work. 

"Have one. It's better than going off sweets." Upon seeing his reluctancy, her hand gently held his and lifted it, placing it ontop of the sandwich.

"I haven't poisoned it, don't worry." Hair shielding his face from view, he accepted the sandwich with humility and ate it in a soft and stimulating manner, no sounds at all to interrupt.

Well, that was before the lift decided to drop down a few more feet. Landing halfway between the wall and the entrance.

"Do you think we could get through that?" She had gotten up to closer inspect the space, fingers grasping onto the floor with something glinting in her hues; what was the question though.

"I wouldn't risk it." She could have gotten through if she tried hard enough, but there was the risk of the lift dropping down while she tried to get out. (He also kind of wanted to spend a bit more time with her.)

And so, heeding his word, she walked back and pressed the door close button, the light of floor 12 disappearing with a snap.

"Would you like to become my assistant? I promise I'll treat you like a queen." The random question caught her off guard, her hues widening.

"Assistant? I didn't realise your job required one."

"I assure you, you'll be in good hands. The rewars is also incedibly rewarding." He wasn't fibbing per say, she would be in excellent hands if she agreed. And the reward of paradise would be good enough for anyone.

"Two jobs, I don't know if I could do that."

"You don't have to." The imput was inconspicuous but she didn't think too much of it.

"How about I give you my number so I can text you if I change my mind?" Without a second of hesitance, he brought out his phone and handed it to her, likewise for her.

After receiving his phone back be checked what she had named herself - '(y/n) the lift bitch'. Classy.

"Unknown. Cute." The murmur obviously was not meant for him to hear, but he couldn't stop himself from asking 'what'.

"Nothing." And with that, they resumed their staring competition with the walls.

 

He beginning to really regret not escaping, hours of being trapped were grating hard on him. Generally, small spaces and him didn't go well, and just being trapped was bringing bad memories go the surface. 

"Unknown, may I ask you a question?" Knowing he could use the distraction, he agreed.

"Are you seeing anyone?" 

"No." The dorky smile she presented was astounding to him. Why would anyone be so pleased to know he was single? No one would ever want to be with him if they knew who he really was.

Despite this, even he couldn't stay too mad. Perhaps she was infecting him from being so close to him for so long because the happiness flashing in his eyes was uncharacteristic.

The sound of a zipper made his head turn, her bag opened and paper being produced as well as a pen. Just from what he could see about the contents of her backpack, he would have thought her more suited to being a student. 

"C'mon, let's okay tick tack toe. Winner of 25 gets all my sweets and money. Shake on it?" Staring at her extended hand, his own reached out to shake it firmly. 

Situating herself on her knees, a quick hamr of rock paper scissors was thrown to choose who would go first. And as luck would have it, she won.

But not for long. 

The defeat was blaringly obvious, 21 to 4. Her slack jaw was only further proof to this.

"You cheated!"

"How can you cheat at this?"

Spluttering, she quietened down on the matter, but not before huffing and pushing the four bags of sweets towards him.

"9 and a half hours have gone." As soon as the comment's last syllable hit the air, a knock from on top of the elevator made them both look up.

"Hello? It's the fire service." Sharing a mutual glance, they stood up in sync.

"Thank fuck." The profanity, in this case, was excused.

"You'll be out soon. Hang tight." 

"Thank you!" Sighing loudly, her head tilted, drinking in the figure infront of her.

"Look's like our time together is coming to a close." And to a close it did come.

The firefighters were extremely quick and efficient in getting them out, taking less than 10 minutes to do. It was a shame they weren't so efficient in receiving and and answering calls. 

Now with the lift being on the ground floor and the sunlight finally hitting their faces, they were both finally able to escape their metallic hell.

"Hey Unknown?" She knew that this was the part where they both would take their leave, yet somehow she almost didn't want that.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for being so kind and such good company. I couldn't have hoped for someone more beautiful to spend 10 hours with. I hope we meet again, and expect some texts from me." Her sentences finished with a chaste kiss upon his porcelain skin, his fingers pressing against the area where she'd touched with amazement.

"Well, bye for now Unknown! See you later." He watched as her figure disappeared up the building stairs, something bubbling in his gut that made him want to scream.

But he controlled it and instead pulled his mask swiftly back up his face, covering him back up and shielding himself from the world with only one thought remaining.

"See you soon, (y/n)."


	43. Languages~ || V x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold is Korean

She was currently staring intently at the skin of her wrist, more precisely the ink that curled and swirled around her inner arm.

However, there had always been one problem with her tattoo, she had never understood what it meant. It took her years to realise what langauge the print even was, learning only a few years ago from a cashier that it was Korean.

But having a foreign (assuming so) soulmate meant that she was had to be extremely focused on learning that paticular dialect, knowing for certain that had it not worked out; that she would have never understood her soulmate.

Years of slaving away behind a desk, forced to listen to different teachers ramming it’s grammar rules down her throat and learning an entirely different alphabet was a huge challange. But she did it.

All for her soulmate.

She couldn’t say that she had too much faith in the whole soulmate system, finding it rather absurd how there was apparently someone out there for you.

But as long as whoever was out there, waiting for the words she would say on their wrist, she would be with them as long as they treated her right.

Her fingers delicately traced over the engraved ink with a melancholy sigh. She was going to board her flight to South Korea in two days, and the nerves were making her jittery.

‘Come on. Don’t be a pussy.’ Her little ‘motivational’ pep talk got her rolling, knowing that this was what she had worked so hard for.

Her parents had always told her to follow her destined one, insisting more

fiercely than ever when they were both on their death beds, hacking up a lung from second hand smoke inhalation.

Their hands had been joined, and as they took their last breathe together, their dying words to each other inked onto their skin.

With a hearty and depressed sigh, she collapsed into her bed, her eyes drooping and closing instantly, the exhaustion and stress too heavy a burden.

The bright lights of the buildings attracted her attention, distracting her and making her bump into a few people. Luckily she only had one suitcase to lug around, considering that she was only here for two weeks.

‘Damn, I’m really here!’ She could hardly contain the glee that she felt, feeling like a sugar addict in a sweet shop.

It had started to become nightfall, the stars beginning to shimmer in the swirling twilight sky.

Her wrist began to itch slightly, prompting her to pull up her sleeve and inspect the now pulsing tattoo.

Eyebrows knitting in confusion, she stared at her hand. That had never happened before, and she could only hope that it wasn’t something bad. Hissing at her own pessimistic thoughts, she shoved it to the back of her mind and tried to hail a taxi.

That alone proved to be a huge challenge.

Apparently they needed the exact location, and since she only knew the name, it had been a huge hassle. Plus the man had tried to dupe her into paying a whole ton more. He had probably assumed that because she was foreign, she wouldn’t understand.

Quite sad how tricking people went past all continental barriers.

She walked into the hotel, breathing a huge sigh of relief when she entered the reception. The staff were understanding and helpful, and thankfully spoke some English. Not much, but enough to input the wifi password in for her.

Mentally noting down to tip them later, she headed upto her room on the second floor. As she got out from the elevator, her shoulder brushed a strangers.

All she could see was a mop of silvery hair, some excess drawn into a pony tail.

“Sorry.“ She bowed quickly, hoping to retire, but was held back by the albino.

“It’s fine, I couldn’t be mad at such a beautiful lady.” His slim fingers gently pulled up her hand, his pink lips placing a tender kiss ontop of her fingers.

She didn’t really mind, his ruby red eyes ensnaring her in their web. But upon seeing the peeking black writing and remembering that the words printed were different, she pulled her hand away from his grasp.

“Thank you. But I have to go now.’

He only nodded, understanding clear in his face.

”Have a good night milady.” Offering a small smile, she returned the gesture with a ”You too Sir.“

She lay in the soft bed, a serene smile on her lips as her limbs were spread out. She couldn’t believe that she was here.

Sure she had come to experience the culture and the customs, but there was also that underlying hope that she would find them. Loneliness had always been in active thing in her life, and she just wanted to have someone to be there for and them for her.

“Whatever.” Rolling onto her side, she grinned and eventually drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

The alarm she had set on her phone jolted her awake. The jetlag was still hitting her hard, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her from join around and having fun.

With a jump in her step (albeit a little slugglish) she changed into some different clothes. She secretly planned to dress the best she could every day, so that she wouldn’t look like a sewer rat if she was to meet her soulmate.

A huge smile graced her face as she walked out the door, the backpack snuggly hugging her figure.

“Where do I go first?” She had a list of places that she had wanted to visit in Seoul, but didn’t know what to choose.

Her friend had recommended going to the nearby water park, but she decided to save that until a week in. Gliding her finger down the list, she paused at one that had seemed interesting.

“Namsan. I guess I’ll go there. Now then…” She trailed off, a finger on her chin as she looked for the metro system. It was taking her brain a little longer than usual to understand all the signs around her, too immersed with all the stimuli.

'Let’s go.’

The metro was busy, but it was around the time that people tended to go to work. She quickly bought a ticket and rushed in, not desiring to be trampled within an inch of her life.

The entire city seemed to always be bustling with life, every corner filled by people and animals, yet still retaining some peace.

The automated voice spoke over the hustle and bustle, informing her that her stop was next. Luckily she was stationed quite near the door, so getting swept away wouldn’t be a problem.

The metro stationed, and she jumped out of the area. Following the signs, she managed to get outside and into the main place.

The view was beautiful, the lush grass was at its peak and the water fountain spouted crystalline droplets. Zoning out and almost ignoring everyone else around her, she began walking closer to the fountain.

And she would have gotten there without a hitch, had not a foot been in her way and tripped her over.

“Fuck!” Unable to stop the curse, she tumbled forwards and was forced into a summersault to avoid breaking her neck.

Hands throbbing, she gazed up to see a worried looking male staring down at her.

His bright yet somehow milky cyan eyes were brimming with apologies. She couldn’t help but think he was beautiful as his bright blue hair flopped gently into his line of vision.

"괜찮아요!?” She waved her hands in front of her face to dismiss his apology, before it suddenly struck her.

“W-what? You can’t be my soulmate! You’re too pretty!” It was his turn to look shocked, his gaze immediately going down to his covered wrist.

He pulled down his sleeve, revealing the words she had just spoken. Her cheeks immediately flushed pink as she pulled down her own sleeve.

“ **I’m (y/n), what’s your name**?” He blinked, extending a hand to help her up, and as she accepted, he spoke.

“.“ She smiled, shrugging it off, the smile slowly turning into a smirk.

” **It’s fine. But you could do one thing to make it up to me.** ”

” **Really? How?** “ He looked genuinely so relived that she wasn’t mad, that she almost found it comical.

” **By showing me around your favourite spots in Seoul. I would love to know where you like to visit.** ” Her cheeks looked like they were about to split in half, but she had just met her soulmate so she was allowed some slack.

His worried frown slowly turned into a slight simper as he nodded heartily, finally finding some form of healthy none toxic rays of light.

“ **Of course. I would love to.** "

~

**괜찮아요? Translates roughly to I'm sorry, are you okay? Credit to TheWinterChild for telling and correcting my obviously shifty Korean! Thank you!**


	44. Jailtime~ || Saeran x Fem Reader

What was she supposed to do? Stand by and watch someone get shot because they were innocent? Because they didn't know or understand what was going on? 

As if.

Even as she was shoved into the back of the police car, her hand tightly restrained by handcuffs, she didn't feel even an ounce of remorse. Instead she felt irritated that she wasn't allowed more time to give them the pain they deserved. 

And so here she was, sitting in the back of the police car with a blank expression as the figures that made the call shrunk into the distance.

Pursing her lips slightly, she shrunk into the back of the car and looked out of the window and at the twinkling golden sky.

 

"Sorry, the number you have called is tem-" Hissing at the stupid message he'd heard around five times now, he slammed down his phone and raked his slender fingers through his hair.

He couldn't understand why she wouldn't pick up. It was incredibly nerve wrecking. Usually, as soon as he called, it was picked up and they would talk for around an hour before he went to sleep. Without the sound of her voice, he couldn't force himself to fall asleep.

Glancing up at the clock, it showed that it was only 10pm, and he knew for a fact that she was incredibly self destructive and only slept at around 3 or 4 am.

Picking up his phone once more, he dialed her number in the faint hopes that she would pick up. It was really beginning to chaffe on hos nerves. Not once in all the two years since they'd started this tradition had she ignored the call. 

Again, it went straight to voice mail and he couldn't help the irritated curse from passing his lips, which unfortunately for him, his nosy brother had heard.

"Saeran? What's up?" The older and taller twin walked into the room, his head tilted slightly as he examined his vexed sibling.

"Nothing that concerns you." His annoyance was causing all of his words to become incredibly sour, and thankfully Saeyoung didn't take any offense to it.

"Is she not answering? That's weird. It's not like she calls anyone else, her logs are all you and just one of V." Saeran's mint hues narrowed as he stared the hacker down.

"How do you know that?" 

"I was bored." A deadpan expression crossed his face.

Saeyoung walked forward, eyeing his brothers phone before gently taking it from him and scrolling through the call logs.

"Do you want to know where she is?" He finally asked, glasses glaring and shielding his amber iris' from view.

"Why would I?"

"Because there may be a reason she isn't picking up. I can track her, but only if you agree to it." Now this was a dilemma. On one hand, he wanted to know exactly where she was and why she didn't reply, but he also didn't want to impose himself onto her. She'd already done and sacrificed so much for him, including all her family ties and living in a country that wasn't her home one.

"I don't know." He answered pathetically, his shoulders slumping as he looked down at his feet.

"So that's a yes. I'll be back." And with that, Saeyoung had disappeared through the door and headed towards his own room. 

'What the hell is she doing?' 

Now that he didn't have her voice to sooth him, his thoughts were running rampant, and his inner demons began to display themselves. Whispering negative things into his head.

'Why would she call me? I bet she's gotten sick of me already.' He bit his lip so hard it almost bled, the pain nothing compared to the mental battle he faced.

And he would have sank further into his own mind, had not Saeyoung burst in again and showed him her location with a grim expression.

"She's in jail."

 

The rough hours of being manhandled and having all her possessions stripped off of her was tough, but she powered through it. 

They had offered to let her out on bail, but she declined. She didn't wish to call anyone, especially since the only two people she trusted enough to talk to were people she would never take advantage of.

And so she lay on the provided mattress of the cell, her eyes dropping as she faced the dull, light blue wall. Curling up into a foetal position, she allowed herself to drift into a shallow slumber.

But obviously she wasn't allowed even that as the clanging of the cell jarred her awake.

"Fucks sake." Sitting up while rubbing her tired and hazy eyes, she realised an officer was standing impatiently at the door.

"Come on, don't you want to get out of here?" They spoke, eyebrow raised as they watched the befuddled female.

"What do you mean?" The officer huffed an pointed towards the entrance of the station.

"You've been released on bail. Somehow they've found you and paid it off." All the tiredness left her body and she scrambled up, her feet almost slipping from under her in her haste.

"Who bailed me out?" 

"Why don't you look for yourself? They're just there." Walking out of the cell, the officer close behind her, her heart almost stopped upon seeing the faces she treasured so much.

"Saeran? Luciel? What the hell are you doing here?" Instead of a response, an intense three way staring contest began, with Saeran and Saeyoung winning as she finally looked away.

"I think the words you should be saying are 'thank you'. It was a hefty bill after all." The officer snarked gently, their amusement soaring as they witnessed how quiet she'd become.

"Right, thank you." Unable to force herself to look at them, she took back her possessions and stuffed them into her pockets.

"You're free to leave." Her arm was gently grabbed by Saeyoung, whom she refused to even glance at as they walked out of the station. 

Knowing that as soon as they were out of anyone earshot, someone would explode, she stepped away from their hold and pulled out her phone to call a taxi.

"(y/n)." Ignored.

"(y/n)." Again, no reply.

"(Y/N)!" The sudden increase in volume startled her, causing her to stop whatever she was doing.

"What the fuck were you doing that was so bad that you got arrested?!" Her shoulders tensed up at Saeran's harsh tone and she couldn't will herself to turn around and look him in the eye.

"I, um…" She shouldn't even force herself to fake an excuse, but she had no idea why he was so angry.

"Tell me the truth. I don't want any bullshit." Suddenly, her body spun around and she was face to face with him, his hands pressing firmly on her shoulders to keep her in place.

"I want to go home. Sorry Saeran." He looked as though he wished to explode, but a gentle hand over his diffused him quickly.

"Calm down, brother." Saeyoung addressed quietly, before his attention turned to the female in front of him.

"Why don't you come with us instead? It'll save you having to take a cab." She was about to decline, but her hand was grasped tightly as Saeran agreed for her, drowning out her protests as he tugged slightly towards the car.

The car ride was painfully quiet, so much so that she almost wished to jump out of the car. And it didn't help her how Saeran's hand had not let go of hers. Instead he'd laced their fingers tightly together to ensure she would not escape.

For the second time that night, she lay back into the seat and closed her eyes, just listening to the quiet rumble of the engine. Not noticing the almost constant glances Saeran gave her.

 

The car came to a stop and she was ushered out. Instead of her own home however, it was the bunker.

"What? I thought you were taking me home!" Saeran's grip tightened and she couldn't have wrenched it out even if she wanted to.

"I never said that. I only asked if you would like to come with us." Shooting daggers at the back of Saeyoung's head, she trailed behind Saeran slowly and walked inside.

"If I tell you what happened, will you let me go? I'm too tired and mentally unstable to deal with this shit." Saeyoung nodded, before gesturing for her to take a seat, with his twin attached of course. 

"Go on." 

Her eyes drifted to the side of the room and she avoided their gaze, not wanting to be put on the spot like this. But obviously she had to, she knew first hand how stubborn the two idiots were.

"Well. I guess it only happened because I can't control myself." Inhaling deeply, she stared at the window that displayed the twinkling night sky.

"There was these two adults with this child. At first I didn't notice, because I didn't care. But then the child began screaming, and it wasn't in Korean. They were a French child and they were yelling about how they didn't know these people and they wanted their mother." The brows of both twins creased and she sheepishly scratched her cheek.

"Most people ignored it, because they didn't know French. But I understood and I went over. Which was something the adults didn't like." Recounting this was horrible, but she knew they wouldn't pester her anymore if she told them.

"I tried to get the child to come to me, but the two adults began to yell about how I was kidnapping their child, and how I was being rude. Which wasn't the case at all. I'd ignored that, and I finally managed to grab the child who was shivering like mad from fear." Knowing that they wanted to find out more, she carried on.

"They shoved us both into an alley and pulled out a gun, dragging the child away and threatening to shoot if I didn't leave. The kid was crying and screaming and they just kicked them to get them to be quiet. I pretended like I was going to back away, but instead I lunged quickly and knocked the gun out of the person's hand." She pulled up her sleeve and showed the small bruise that had formed.

"The other person grabbed me and the child was free so I told them to hide while I kept the two down. Someone came past and called the police, and I was arrested on charges of battery, threats and endangerment of a minor. Even though it was all their fault." Saeran's hands clenched and a small crack came from her fingers, causing him to let go.

"The French kid was taken in though, so at least that was good. The other two were also carted into police cars but I wish I could have landed a hard punch on their noses before they did." Strecthing and standing up, her shirt slid up to reveal multiple bruises and a thin gash going across her abdomen.

The two however, didn't comment and instead stared at each other before Saeyoung up and left.

"Hu-" Her figure lurched forwards and she was tugged down onto the couch, her body pinned under Saeran's as he lay his head over her beating heart.

"...You're so fucking reckless." His words came out in a low whisper, and his finger gently grazed over the bruise on her arm. This was so unlike him that she couldn't even manage to force out a word. 

Even though he wanted to yell and scream at her for being so damn stupid, he knew it wasn't his place at all. He knew that she would do whatever she liked, whenever she liked. Because she was her own person and she did things based off what she thoughts was right.

And he admired that, he admired that so damn much. That exact nature was what had brought him out of his depressive mind set, that showed him that people cared for him. And it was also what made him fall in love with her.

"Saeran?" 

"Just be quiet. You didn't call me so I couldn't get to sleep. The least you could let me do is sleep now." Her mouth made no more words and she allowed herself to close her own eyes, only catching two more words before she drifted off.

"You idiot."


	45. Help~ || Saeyoung x Female Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains mentions of self hatred abd depression

“Yeah, I ate.” She typed, knowing full well she hadn’t eaten for the last two days.

It wasn’t her fault. She just wasn’t hungry. Her appetite had just fled from her everytime she was reminded of where she was.

An almost genuine smile peeked on her lips as she glanced back down at the screen, trying so hard to cling onto the only sense of security she had.

Zen: That’s good. You should take care of yourself.

MC: Huh? Yeah I guess so.

MC: You should too Zen. Smoking and drinking all the time will mess up your insides, even if you have freakishly fast healing.

Zen: Only for you~

Her heart didn’t even change pace from the flirtatious text since she’d taught herself not to care. To believe that no one meant anything they said to her.

MC: Haha, thanks Zenny!

It almost burned at her skin to type her replies, so far away from what her heart felt. But she feared if she spoke how she really felt, everyone would leave her for the dust

Zen: It’s late, you should sleep. I’ll sleep right after I take a shower.

Zen: I only wish you were here to join me.

Not even batting an eyelid, she typed in her preprogrammed response, her every word robotic and unfeeling.

MC: Don’t say things like that! You’re making me blush!

Zen: Good, you’d look beautiful with a blush.

MC: Alright, enough flirting Zen. Let’s go to bed.

Zen: Whatever you want, mi'lady.

Zen: Goodnight~

MC: Goodnight!

Zen has left the chatroom.

Finger hovered over the button for leaving the chatroom, she inhaled shakily and pressed it forcefully.

The time blared in brightly in the corner, her eyes hurting from the tiredness she experienced, as well as constant stinging at the back of her eyes.

Pushing the power off button, she threwq her phone onto the side and buried herself into the foreign covers.

Even if she was currently living here, she knew the apartment was not hers in the least. No matter whst she did, she was always going to remain the replacement for the perfect angel that was Rika.

Day after day she wished to leave her own personal prison, but the crushing thought to everything slipping between her fingers kept her rooted, despite how much inner turmoil it caused her.

How could she let people down? She could at least try not to be such a damn failure, even if that dream never came to the light. Everything she did was a huge blunder, her existence a black stream in amidst all the gold of the RFA. A blackened soul beyond redemption.

Soft whimpers fell from her lips, but she clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle the pathetic noises. How dare she make any noise? Her only purpose was to be seen and not heard.

‘Oh god. Fuck.’ Clenching her eyes shut, she willed herself to suck it up. Every emotion she had was insignificant like her, what use was she to anyone?

“I want to go.” To where, she had no idea. There was the idea of going home, to the place where she sat by herself sat after day with no one checking up on her. A blissful existence where she didn’t damage anybody with her toxicity.

She could also have gone. Gone from the world that had no use for her. Easily replaceable was all she was.

 

Sleep didn’t come at all, her dark circles worsening and her look absolutely pitiful. Her clothes sagged on her body and she felt like the personification of death. Yet there was always a small forced smile on her face.

“Damn, I should do something productive.” Her hand reached out for her discarded phone, but then stopped once it buzzed. The time had only just hit 6am, so she wondered who would’ve been in the chatroom at that time.

'I need go reply to the emails.’ Gritting her teeth, she picked up her device and was slightly surprised to see that it was Seven.

“That’s odd. He’s usually never online so early.” Emails be damned, she entered the chatroom and watched as he typed.

707: Hello~

MC: Good morning!

707: Hey, are you okay? I checked the camera’s and you were awake all night

Her head tilted upwards so that she had a clearer view of the camera which was blinking red. Feeling slightly irritated, she flipped the camera off and turned back to the messenger.

MC: Rude, shouldn’t you ask for permission before spying?

707: There’s no use in dodging the question.

MC: I’m doing ok. I just haven’t been feeling tired lately.

707: …

707: You really shouldn’t lie like that.

MC: …?

707: I can see the dark circles and lifelessness in your eyes. I can also see how much weight you've lost. So you can tell the truth.

Her throat felt like it was closing up, oxygen not reaching her at all as she tried to breath.

MC: You're wrong. I'm fine, really. You should update your cameras or check your glasses 

707: Honestly MC…

The incoming call option flashed up and she threw her phone across the room, not even caring about any possible damage. She wasn't ready to talk to anyone, let alone him.

"Fuck." Her head hurt and she really wished it wasn't so early. All she wished for was to go home, to forget about everything and be alone. 

"I can't do this anymore." The confined self hatred and deprecation was bubbling dangerously towards the surface, a dangerous concoction to her already fragile state of mind.

Nails dug into the skin of her thigh as her breathing spiraled out of control, black spots dancing in her vision as she cursed herself for being such a burden to everyone and everything.

'I'm worth nothing. No one loves me. No one cares. I should go and do everyone a favour.' Corrupting thoughts rang around her head and she was powerless to stop them, believeing every belittling word her self conscious threw at her.

Her lips trembled dangerously, her expression not changing as she felt like she was being turned inside out. No one could see how broken she really was.

 

Sudden loud bangs drew her attention away from her intrusive thoughts, the noises coming from the door and causing her heart to freeze.

"Oh god. Someone's here to kill me. I hope the make it quick." No traces of caring remained in her soul, not even the will to survive remained.

Sitting there quietly, she faced the door with a steely expression, stinging from the crescent shaped bruises on her thigh giving her something to focus on.

The door gave away, hitting the wall with an earth shattering bang.

Her eyes closed of their own accord, her body slumping as she readied herself for what was surely going to be a painful experience.

But nothing like that happened.

Instead the sound of running footsteps reached her ears and a comforting warmth spread through her body.

Warm arms cradled her gently like a new born child, fingers gently threading through her sweaty hair as they rocked back and forth.

Her eyes peeked open, all she could see was red fabric, and all she could smell was something similar to salt, honey and sweat.

"I'm so stupid, I should have come here before." She recognised that voice, the voice that she guiltily loved to hear. The voice that was always so chipper and goofy. The voice that was now sombre and choked.

"Luciel?" It was only a low whisper, but she was pulled further into the embrace as a response. Murmurs of promises were whispered into the top of her head, heat pulsing through her body as he daren't move.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner." 

"W-why?" He didn't make any move to face her, his arms wrapping tighter as her head lay against his chest.

"Because I can't let you go. I know that's selfish of me, b-but you're so kind and helpful and someone that deserves everything and more. You don't deserve to stay awake through the night, to starve yourself everyday, to wipe away your tears, to suffer alone." A small strangled gasp came from her throat as she felt tears well up in her eyes.

"I know I shouldn't have gotten attached to you, my life is insanely dangerous and I want to ?keep you safe. But I couldn't stay away." He nuzzled further into her locks, gently saying back and forth.

"But I'm nothing. You're so smart and beautiful an-and-" She stuttered, fumbling through her words, but he shook his head, miming for her to be quiet.

"I'll be your anchor. If you won't live for yourself, then live for me. Please." All she could manage was a nod. 

Even if love couldn't melt away all the doubt's she had, it was a step on the road towards getting better.

Maybe she could finally count on someone to help stop her from drowning.


	46. Runaway ~ || Zen x Fem reader

It had just hit thirty minutes past midnight, the stars twinkling faintly over top of the bright city lights of Seoul. The breeze was cool, easing the heat off his slightly overheated and sweaty skin. He had returned from an audition from a stuffy and rather small studio just over an hour ago, and this was the only slightly desolate area he could find.

The glint of his now lit cigarette glowed, the ember providing barely any light for his eyes to be able to see into the otherwise inky darkness outside. 

He was only 19, a young man who wished to see his dream through till the end. It was tough not to get the support he wished for, but in the end he was doing everything for himself.

Inhaling deeply, he could feel the addicting sensation burning his lungs and throat ever so slightly, his heart pounding as he stared off into the night. 

Tranquil and quiet, just as he wanted. 

The albino checked his watch, the time for which he should have been home by passing around thirty minutes ago. Why he was still lounging around a convenience store five miles away from his home was a mystery to him too. 

The can of beer in his pocket clinked, the tip of his keys dangling against the metal as he began to mount his vehicle. 

The engine revved with life, his own thoughts whirring with the hum of it. 

If he had listened a little closer, he would have heard the frantic footfalls behind him and could have perhaps avoided the next few strings of events. Well, for him at least. 

She was breathing harshly, the air struggling to reach her lungs in time and her heart struggling to pump blood around her body fast enough to alleviate the pain building up in her muscles. 

But she wasn't allowed to be caught. If she was, then she would die. 

No discussion.

Her vision was bleary, her body telling her to stop and take a few deep inhales, but the multiple footsteps behind her reminded her that this was a luxury she did not have. 

Blinking rapidly, she could faintly see the figure of a young man on a motorcycle. He didn't seem to be doing much, part from preparing to set off, in fact he seemed rather oblivious to the deadly chase going on just a few meters behind him. 

What could she do? If she stopped, she would die. If she didn't, she would have to stop from exhaustion. 

Eyeing the motorcycle, she didn't know whether or not she had it in her to do what she was thinking to doing. However, she soon decided that she would prefer to continue with her idea than have all her efforts be in vain. 

'Just a little further. Come on, you can do it!' The adrenaline shooting through her body was starting to dwindle, pins and needles beginning to take over as she was just out of reach. 

That's when he started revving. 

'Oh no. No! FUCK!' Nearly screaming out loud, she grabbed onto the back and held on as it started moving. 

The concrete under her was scraping the bottom of her shoes as he sped up, the figures chasing her stopping in bewilderment to view the spectacle. They were not expecting this, and neither was she. 

Taking their shock as an opportunity, she spoke whilst ignoring the treacherous sting in her throat. 

"Sir! Mr! Please, my feet!" He ignored it, looking ahead. 

"Sir! SIR!" He tilted his rear view mirror, the motorcycle stopping almost instantly with a jolt forwards that sent her tumbling into his back.

"Wha- who are you?!" His accusatory tone was something she could ewl with later, instead scrambling up and wrapping her arm around his torso. Feeling incredibly awkward, she almost couldn't keep the panic she felt at bay. 

"Please Sir! I'm being chased, you have to go! Please, PLEASE!" Sheer desperation laced her tone, his own eyes widening as he heard laboured pants and the sounds of running in the darkness. Right now, his head was swimming with thoughts, but his body was quicker to react. 

Revving his engine and turning the lights back on, the motorcycle sped up and they shot off, leaving the assailant's in the dust. 

Her head was buried in the unknown man's back and only now did it stike her how much of an idiotic move that was. A move that may have saved her life. 

"I-i apologise. I didn't mean to steal your ride and make you uncomfortable. I was going to die if I didn't get away and you were my only escape." Ever so slightly, red consuming hues burned into her own through the side mirror, his lips parted to form unspoken words. 

'Why?' He had wanted to ask. 

Was she a criminal? Why was she running? Who was she? Who was chasing her? 

All these questions ran through his head in a continous loop, his bead spinning as he concentrated on the road. 

"They were chasing me because I stole information. The infamous group called BSD sent their most athletic members after me to retrieve the data." The grip on his handlebars tightened, his muscles tensing harshly.

"BSD?" He breathed out, voice faint yet melodic in it's hoarseness. 

How had she managed to steal information on one of the most notorious gangs in South Korea? BSD were one of the most illusive and dangerous groups, everyone warned within a good few minutes of being in the city to never associate with the group unless they were suicidal or plain stupid. 

She looked so innocent. He would have thought of her as no one more than a normal female whom he would see walking across the street. 

"Yes… BSD. They took the life of my sister and I got help from one of my own friends to get their information to take their lives." Looks really did deceive then. This female who looled like she wouldn't harm a fly, was plotting the demise of one of the most dangerous groups in the world. 

He was speechless, well and truly speechless. 

"I know that I shouldn't be asking, but could you take me to the police station? I don't know my way around this area." His brows furrowed, eyes narrowing as he kept his head straight ahead. She didn't know her way around? 

"The police station? I can do that. But can I at least know your name?" It was a stretch by far, but he had always been weak towards women. 

The soft smile that graced her chapped lips were stunning, a twinkle in her eyes that had previously been dulled by fear and adrenaline. With her maws curled up into a smile, her arms wrapped tighter around his midriff as she held on. 

"Only if I may know yours." Quite the charmer she was, he thought with a chucke that vibrated throughout both their bodies.

"I'm Hyun, but you can call me Zen."

"I'm (y/n). But you can call me MC." She had just given away her name to a man she had only just met. He couldn't do anything with that information. 

The drive was long and tiring, 15 minutes passing by in a blurr. The police station was a good few miles away from his house, there was no way that he would be able to get him before 1am at this rate.

Resigning himself to his fate, the actor decided to try and carry on the conversation. 

"How exactly did you find the information?" 

"On BSD? I asked someone called 707 for help and he did. I just had to break into headquarters and connect him to the main computers." He blinked, this '707' character sounded incredibly shady. 

Then again, it wasn't like any of this was sane. 

"Isn't it a little dangerous to be telling me all of this?" He wasn't expecting to hear her laugh with the circumstances being so dire. But she did and he could almost feel his heart soar with the sound.

"It is. But after I've gone to the police station, I have no reason to live any longer. They'll find and kill me, so I would rather die on my own terms." A shudder ran throughout his body, he sincerely hoped she wasn't actually planning to do what it sounded like she was going to do. 

"I never would have put you to such a feisty person, MC." Her hold tightened, forehead pressing into his back.

"No one does, why else do you think I got in so easily?" No comment there.

Her warmth seeped in through the back of his jacket, his cheeks heating up in the same manner. He was a cocky bastard, but became putty in the hands of beautiful women. 

"Thank you, Hyun. You remind me of my sister." He could feel her swallow thickly, her breath hitching after she had spoken. 

"Really?," he paused to think of what he could say, "what was she like?"

"She was nice and kind and beautiful. I loved her with my heart and soul and they killed her because she had dated one of the executives despite not knowing that they was part of BSD. Silly girl, I always did tell her not to accept strange female requests." Sniffling, he could see past the shield she had held up, the bricks and mortar crumbling down until she was dry heaving.

"Sorry, I shouldn't be getting emotional. But I hate that bitch so much, I never understood why she had to be shot for dating someone that approached her." 

"Oh, I'm sorry. That's horrible." 

"I know." The conversation ended there.

The police station was now 5 minutes away. 

 

The station was coming into sight, the bright lights of the indoors reflecting onto the tarmac through the cracks in the doorway. 

"We're here." As she climbed off, he couldn't help but notice how tired she looked. She must have been running for quite the while. 

"Will you be okay?" Her gaze snapped upwards almost erratically, like she had forgotten that he was there.

"…yes. Thank you for caring, Hyun." Suddenly, he didn't wish to part ways. The twinkling of the night must have brought out his inner romantic, but he wished to know her. To understand her and what she's been through. 

Suddenly, he didn't want to let go.

She had turned around, walking a away without waiting for a goodbye, her movements sluggish and limping.

"Wait, (y/n)!" She paused, almost in a delirium as she faced him once more. 

She stood, waiting for him to continue.

"Will I ever see you again?" She smiled, but it wasn't like the ones they had shared on the bike, instead, it was sad and almost reminiscing.

"Maybe." Her reply was illusive, the pang in his heart strengthening.

"Maybe not." She continued, her footsteps soft and light. A complete contrast to the footfalls from earlier. 

Parking his bike, he almost tripped over in his haste to reach the female who was slipping away. 

She jerked at his touch, the feeling foreign until she was surrounded by nothing but heat, delicious and soothing heat that dulled all the mental and physics fatigue she had. She felt , something she hadn't been since her death. 

The embrace lasted for a while, her head resting against his chest as she listened to his strong and almost frantic heartbeat. 

"Be safe." Was the whisper that hung in the air as she pulled away, her smile a little less melancholy.

"We'll see, Hyun. I will treasure our meeting for the rest of my life." Her hand rested atop of her heart for a moment, the limb dropping after a few seconds. All he could do was hope that her promise didn't end early.

"Really," her hand slipped in his, "I want to see you again. And maybe then we can go out for a drink?" 

Brow raising, she almost laughed. He was asking her out on a date now?" 

"I'll think about it. If I ever see you again, I'll make sure to shout for you. For now, I should go." And she did, her figure dissolving into the mesh of lights and quiet background noise as she entered the police station.

The only thing he could feel was the gentle kiss she had placed on his cheek, the tingling remaining before leaving. 

He was going to wait. 

No matter how long it took.


	47. Runaway ~2 || Zen x Fem reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions attempted suicide

The studio was warm, heat from the various bodies and radiators melding into one. Sweat dripped slowly down his back, wetting his shirt and causing it to stick. Thankfully it was ending soon, his breath leaving in short pants from the unbearable passion he was expressing. Every word he delivered had heart and soul, his livelihood dripping from every syllable.

The actress had already gone to her dressing room, waving him a small wave before going to meet up with her girlfriend. 

But yet, here he was - furiously practising each and every line until they were engrained into his being. He acted for himself, for the attention and admiration he never received as a child, but also becauee he wanted a certain someone to be proud. 

He knew for a fact that if they were to see him, they would have been nothing short of elated. 

Years had passed since his promise, even so, in his heart he knew that one day his promise would be fulfilled. He waited desperately for the day that he would be able to share even one more conversation, even if he had to let go forever afterwards.

A sinking feeling in his chest made him pause, his energy draining quickly once he realised the extent of his fatigue. The director, seemingly noticing the sudden change in his demeanour, called for an end to the rehearsal and stated that everyone was free to clean up and head home.

Thank god. 

He didn't think he could have stayed for much longer anyway. 

Walking out with his earphones plugged into his phone, he strolled into one of the nearby cafés to order a drink. It was one he frequented often so he knew what to order rather quickly. 

Telling the barista his name, he waited patiently for his drink, scrolling through his friends messages as he did so, a soft smile on his lips as he read the enigmatic responses of each and everyone of his mates. Well, apart from Trust fund kid but there always was that one exception.

"Zen." Name being called, he took his drink with a thankful smile and began to walk out.

Although, what he heard next made him stop. His heart pounding in his chest as he looked around for the source. 

"Hyun, is that you?" Echoed in his ears, his memories screaming at him. It was her, it had to be her. No one but her and V called him Hyun. 

He couldn't see her. Everyone was milling around, doing their normal things. No one even glanced in his direction. 

'Ha, maybe I am going crazy.' Chucking internal, he carried on his walk home.

 

Everywhere he looked he was reminded of her, the girl he had only met once but had left. lasting impression. Her hair colour in crowds attracting his attention, only to be dismissed once he realised it wasn't her. 

All he wanted was to talk to her once more, he could hardly remember how her words sounded. All he knew was that they were soft and melodic. 

Just one last hug, one more and he would be satisfied for a lifetime. 

With one last sigh, he pushed open the building door in which he lived in. Though he did not expect to be pushed in with the same force, his drink sloshing precariously as he stumbled.

"What the hell?!" The figure stood, their eyes covered by a hood. Their mouth hung open ever so slightly, an expression of shock. 

"Hey!? Are you going to say anything?" Almost in slow motion, their hood was pulled down. The fabric slipping from their grasp as their features were slowly revealed. 

Once it was fully down, he could barely hold on the sharp gasp that tumbled from past his lips, free hand shooting up to cover his mouth. 

The hair he could never forget was cut much shorter than previously seen, yet their eyes remained the same. Their mouth was parted in an 'O', eye contact steady with the few inches they seemed to have grown.

Then, they smiled, his entire being filling with a warmth he hadn't felt in years.

"(y/n), is that really you?" The subtle nod was all it took for him to nearly toss his drink and pull her in for a tight hug. 

Rather surprised at the sudden affection, her own hands tentively went to wrap around his back, savouring his warmth and the faint tightening of his own limbs around her body. It was almost as though he never wanted to let go.

"It's really you. I thought I would never see you again." His word were breathless, red hues shimmering brightly as he pulled away. 

His hand trailed along the expanse of her arm, before his fingers laced with her own as he began walking to his place, pulling her along so that they had some semblance of privacy. 

"You wouldn't have ever seen me again if I was successful." Her laugh was bitter, hidden sadness echoing off the walls of his living room as he shut the door.

Eyes following her delicate movements, watching closely as her fingers traced the scar under her neck. Instantly, he knew what she meant. 

"You tried…" She nodded, allowing his fingers to touch the marred skin with tenderness known to only mothers of newborns.

"I did, but failed once I remembered a few things." Voice sending tingles up his arm, he retracted his limb and settled for just watching her. 

"What happened, with you, with the group? Everything." Words were jumbled, much like his thoughts.

"BSD were all caught and imprisoned for life, it was on the news a while ago I think. As for me? Well I had nothing, so I tried taking my own life." He gulped thickly, muttering a soft 'I'm sorry' which she dismissed quickly. 

"I visited my sister's ex girlfriend. When she came out I gave her the hardest punch I could muster, I was escorted out but it was worth it. Though, I never found the person who got them together." Smiling, she took his hand in her smaller one and held it softly.

"What about you?" She inquired, watching his reaction as it twisted in thought.

"Well I've not done anything as exciting as punching my sister's ex, but I have gotten a few big roles here and there. I'm currently working on one of them." A proud simper covered her lips, her hold on his hands tightening as she laughed happily. 

"That's awesome, Hyun! I never knew you were an actor." For once in his life, he felt humbled; and almost unseen blush coating his otherwise flawless cheeks. 

He always knew that she would praise him, and suddenly he felt as though nothing could have ever made him happier. 

Though, he caught her swallowing thick, her head cast downwards as she fiddled with her thumbs.

"I-i'm sorry for following you. I saw you at the café and I didn't know whether or not it was really you. It was creepy and I shouldn't have done it." Almost finding it amusing how remorseful she seemed, he hummed softly and placed his hand on hers briefly.

"It's fine. I would rather have you as a cute stalker than anyone else." The entertained simple that was on her lips disappeated quickly as he played a soft kiss to the top of her hand, standing up briskly and avoiding his gaze.

"Thank you so much, Zen. I should really be going now. It was nice seeing you again." Breathing in harshly, she began to make her way to the door, her wrist grabbed before she could reach for the door handle.

"Why are you in such a hurry? Is something wrong? I haven't been you in year, (y/n)." The concern in his bright eyes made her stomach church, she didn't deserve it. She never should have chased after him.

Another mistake.

"It should have stayed that way, I'm so sorry. 707 was right, it was bad to even consider talking to you again." Instead of loosening up, he held on tighter, expression morphing into one of shock.

"707? You know Luciel?" His look was mirrored on her own face.

"You know him?" She never realised that the ever illusive hacker would have such… Normal acquaintances.

"He's in the same group as me. The RFA." She stiffened, hand going limp as she went over his words. 

"H-huh? The group with Rika?" He could only assume that she didn't know. 

"Rika commited suicide 6 months ago. She's no longer alive." She could feel her heart squealing itself tightly, her only chance of closure slipping by too quickly. 

"She can't be! I saw traces of her here, I tracked her here!" Attempting to calm her breathing, thw beginnings of despair ate away at the insides, her crushing defeat strong. 

"I chased someone who was dead. I just wanted to know why Rika set them up when she knew what kind of person she was." Forcing a smile on her face, she pulled her hand away from him.

She couldn't stand it anymore. Why chase after something so long gone?

Footsteps echoed loudly against the walls of his home, his throat closing up with every step she took. She was leaving him again.

Though this time, he wouldn't allow it.

"(y/n), please! Don't leave, I really like you."

The footfalls stopped, midway though leaving through the doorway. Without turning around, she spoke emotionlessly, her voice still and void of any care.

"You don't know me, _Zen_." Swallowing thickly at the use of his stage name, he could barely stop himself from crying out. 

"But I want to know you. Ever since we met, I could only think of you. I waited so long for this day. I want one chance, just one. Please…" Voice growing faint, he was unable to see her reaction.

Unable to see the clenched jaw she spotted, her breathing hitched. 

"You don't want that." 

"I do." He cooed, reaching out to pull her back into his warm embrace, his heart stopping at the sight of the tear tracks on her face, slowly sliding down and off her cheeks. 

"I really do." The reiteration of his intentions made her inhale shakily, face buried in his chest as she allowed him to comfort her. 

"No one means it. They all leave, my sister, Rika, 707. No one ever stays." 

It hurt him to know that she had suffered through so much tragedy, she had so much lobe in her heart and it was always cut short before she xould properly express it. 

Knowing that he could probably never erase her heartache, he would at least try. But to do so, he needed her approval, he wanted to support her. The woman who had snagged his interest since day 1.

"I won't." The words were soft, barely audible.

Palms rubbed circles gently into her back, her mind stabilising itself enough to rasp out one last question.

"Really?" 

And with no hesitation he replied:

"Really."


	48. Sleep~ || Saeran x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for Ray's and V's route.

There was something about him.

Something about him that drew her so far in she could barely breath, her heart lodged firmly in her throat. Yet she did not hate it.

He was so kind, so considerate and radiated such warmth that she was instantly attracted to him, though sometimes she did wish he was a little less self deprecating. There was nothing she could find that he would be outwardly depressed about, except for perhaps the mind rotting conditions he was subjected too.

She wasn't an idiot, she knew that this place was toxic and that she needed to leave as quickly as possible, but she refused to do so without him.

Maybe that pull was the reason why she was currently sneaking out from her room, hiding behind every corner at the slightest sound of footsteps and cursing inwardly should they come to close to her. 

'Fucking hell, this place is so hard to navigate past.' Grumbling under her breath, she continued to make her way around the building. 

There was actually no reason as to why she was walking around on what could only be described as a suicide mission, her heart beating wildly at the thought of being caught. 

She wanted to- no. She _needed_ to see him. He was the only thing keeping her from bolting straight out of the doors and off the face of the earth. 

But just how was she going to get past? He was in the highly guarded 'information' room as they had called it and there was no way on earth they would just let her waltz past like a fool.

While caught up in her thoughts, she passed a door with muffled voices that were coming dangerously close to her and she ran to safety behind a wall, pressing herself to it as closely as she could.

Despite the mutterings being unintelligible, she could clearly see the extra robe draped over their right hand, the door shutting as they walked away.

However, they left behind one thing. The slip off paper that had fallen from their pocket, a small white slip that she instantly snatched up.

"Deliver to A1054? Hm." Deciding to pull a very risky move, she opened the door and stepped inside, making sure to shut the door behind her. She had gotten so far already, it would be devastating to be caught now. 

Pressing an ear against the door, she seemed it safe enough to turn on the lights once she heard no sounds. There wasn't much, but with a closer squirt, she was able to see a slightly dusty robe in the back corner of the room.

It wasn't much but it would do very nicely.

With a quick snatch, she yanked it straight off it's hook and patted down the dust, making it presentable before pulling it over her head and slipping a dark mask over her mouth. She couldn't be too careless so she had tied up her hair and was planning on disguising her voice. 

Deciding that she looked decent, she quickly ran out of the room and looked for the nearest believer. And just that daunting thought was causing a cold sweat to form on her back.

Finally, after five or so minutes of searching for the people that never seemed to disappear otherwise, she found one of them stood by a painting of a daffodil.

"Excuse me? Do you know where I can find Mr Ray at this time? I was instructed by the Saviour to deliver something of upmost importance." Making her voice a pitch deeper than usual, she was sure that they wouldn't recognise her.

They raised a single brow at her, but didn't comment on her mask nor the hood obscuring most of her face. 

"He is most likely to be in the information room at this time, but I don't seem to recognise you?" 

She could have screamed, and she was internally.

"I beg your pardon, I'm believer A1054." Maybe using that paticular alias would come back to bite her in the arse, but she didn't really care at that moment. 

Their eyes widend instantly, bowing deeply in apology.

"Please, accept my apology." She nodded and continued.

"Do you know where I can find this room? I've never had a prior reason to go there." They nodded hastily, pointing into a corridor before explaining.

"Take this left and go straight ahead until the second eight, the turn and go ahead until you see the sign for the information room on top of the door. For eternal paradise." Memorising the directions, she bowed her head and mumbled a soft 'for eternal paradise' before walking away. 

 

Like magic, the directions worked flawlessly and she was in front of the information room door. There was one problem, like with most other things in her life. 

There was at least five other believers guarding the entrance, casting an intimidating aura that extended beyond the corridor and sent a single shiver down her spine. 

Steeling her nerves, she would not turn back now. Not when she was so close.

"Pardon me, I must see Mr Ray." A hand was placed against her chest, preventing her from moving further forwards and keeping her locked in place. 

"State your name and business."

"I am believer A1054 and I need to see Mr Ray to deliver a personal message sent by the Saviour." A bigger hole was being dug for herself, but she had to see him.

Instantly at the mention of the title, they parted like the red sea and allowed her purchase, opening the door and letting her straight in. 

She could breathe easily now. 

The door shut behind her with a click and she could have cried from the relief pulling through her veins at the sight of his familiar bleached locks and rather brightly coloured magenta coat.

"Ray?" He looked up at the mention of his name, eyes darting around before landing on her. 

"Yes? Do you need something? I'm working." Wordlessly, she slipped her hood down aswell as her mask and the reaction was instantaneous. 

His hand shot up to his mouth, eyes the size of golf balls as he stared at the female infront of him in disbelief.

"H-how did you get in?" Completely lost for words, he stared owlishly at the female, his hand remaining near his mouth.

"I wanted to see you." Purposely not answering his question, she hoped to dodge them and instead converse normally with him.

Pausing, his eyes still wide, he looked positively terrified at the thought of her being in the same room as him right now. 

"Y-you have to go, the Saviour will become really angry if she finds out." The chair clattered as he stood up hastily, looking around frantically for an answer. 

"Hey, she can't do anything you don't want her to. She's not going to hurt you, besides I only came here because I wanted to talk with you. I miss you Saeran." If he was scared before, he was definitely on the verge of having a panic attack now, the natural reaction only wasted slightly by the warm sensation of her palms on his cheeks.

"D-don't call me that. He's going to come out." Thumbs glided over the supple skin of his face, an undeniably warm and caring aura around her and pounding in her beautiful hues, inviting him into their depths.

"Saeran is you. It doesn't matter if he comes out, you both mean the same amount to me as eachother." He swallowed hard, almost as though he didn't believe her. 

Even if he did not speak, he couldn't deny the softness laced behind her actions, the way she tenderly caressed his face and the way she looked deep into his eyes, revealing his soul and baring himself out to her in the most vulnerable of ways. 

"You should sleep, me as well. You hardly ever sleep." Unable to hold eye contact any longer upon hearing her worried words, he looked down at the floor as he mumbled. 

"The work…" 

"Forget the work. You need rest, you can always do it tomorrow. Come." Gently tugging on his hand, she couldn't help but smile as the adorable flush of colour on his otherwise pale cheeks. 

"O-okay." Watching intently as he turned off the multiple monitors, she smiled comfortingly and ran a thumb over his knuckles. 

"I'll go out first, okay? Would you prefer your room or mine?" And almost inaudible whisper of 'yours' passed his chapped lips, looking everywhere but her face. 

"Alright, make sure to bring some clothes. I'll see you there." And with that, she had pulled her mask up once more as well as the hood and left with her head bowed and with the sense of security that followed her. 

 

She had practically ran the entire way back to her room, making sure not to be spotted by anymore busy believers before heading back into her room and locking the door. 

Deciding it was the most sensible thing to do, she had slipped on her pajamas and cleaned up the bed, not that it was messy in the least.

Fluffing up multiple pillows and laying the bedsheets down as nicely as she could, her breath hitched when she heard a soft knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

A pause.

"It's… me." At the sound of his soft and slightly trembling voice, she quickly ran over and unlocked the door, pulling it open and allowing him to step inside before locking it once again. 

"You came!" Of course he did, he would have never forgiven himself if she went through all that trouble just for him to flake on her. 

Noticing the clothes in his hands, she allowed a joyful simper to spread across her lips.

"That's great. You can change in the bathroom if you want, I'll be right outside." Taking her advice, he bolted into the bathroom and changed as fast as he could, not wanting nor wishing to waste any precious time he had with her. Every single second was limited, like hell he would just throw it away. 

He reappeared quickly, sporting a thin white cotton shirt and simple black pajama bottoms that complimented him nicely. Honestly, he was modelesque in whatever he wore, though he would disagree.

Once again, she gently took his left hand and turned off the lights, climbing into the sheets but not pulling him into them with her. She wanted him to go at his own pace and do things that he was comfortable with.

He sat there on the edge of the bed, only watching with his mint hues flowing faintly in the dark. his hand outstretched in an almost yerning manner. 

"I don't bite." She joked, hoping to ease his nerves. It seemed to work too, his once tighrly pressed lips now partied into a friendly smile.

Sucking in a breath through his teeth, hs slowly lifted the covers at her side and allowed his feet to slowly slide in, his other foot following quickly after before his full body was submerged in the beautiful heat and comfort of the bed. 

He heard her laugh, the sound so beautiful and so pure that just heart couldn't help but flutter madly in his chest, his thoughts racing at a million miles per hour. She was so close, he could almost taste the heat she radiated. 

"Ah, you're so cute. Saeran, there's no need to be shy." There was again, using his name so casually and so carelessly as though it wasn't something he had to keep quiet about. She just made everything seem so natural and real.

His cheeks darkened at the compliment, making him glad that he wasn't facing the chuckling female.

Suddenly, he could feel her fingers press softly into hair skin, the flash of his arm tingling under the fleeting touches she presented.

"You can come closer, no need to fall off the edge." God, he so badly wanted to curl up beside her, his head buried in her chest as he listened to the soft thunping of her heart beat.

"Tell me if you're uncomfortable." As if she could ever make him uncomfortable, her long arms winding around him as she rested against his back, her hands holding onto his clothes in a firm yet loose grip.

"W-what's happening to me?" The whisper was heard by the female who was enveloping him, her fragile murmur hitting the top of his head in airy pants.

"Nothing, you're okay." 

Ever so slowly, he began to turn around so that he was facing her and not the wall on the opposite side of the room, his heart picking up it's thundering pace.

Slowly, a hand began to make it's way into his hair, moving aceoss his back before situating itself in the mass of bleached locks.

"No one will touch you. You're safe and you're okay. Saeran, you're beautiful and you're all I could ever ask for. You're worth the world and so much more." He could feel himself tear up, her warmth and words sinking deep into his skin and further into his heart. 

"Why do you call me that?" 

He heard her breathe in quietly, as though she was preparing to give a speech. Her hand continue to run through his hair before gently tracing circles into the small of his back. 

"I call you Saeran because it's your name. You are Saeran, and I love how it sounds. It's such a unique and gorgeous name that deserves to be heard by the world. It's **_you._** " 

He couldn't stop the few tears that leaked at her heartfelt words, his sobs muffled by the fabric of her shirt as he clutched her like a newborn.

"You don't need to cry. You work so hard, all you need to do is rest. You make me so, so happy. I want you to be okay." Gulping thickly, he nodded, resting his head on her chest as she held him tightly, his eyes closing slowly as one last coherant thought remained in his head.

'Thank you. Thank you so much.'


	49. Churchbells~ || Child Saeyoung & Saeran x Older Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains mentions of abuse and semi graphic violence.

Here she was again, within the holy walls of which she was supposed to never return to, the walls which had shunned her out ever since she had been cursed. 

The plain white and almost blinding walls of the church. 

Why she came every week was a mystery, perhaps it was because she wished to see the evolution of religion, of the thing that others chased after so relentlessly. Or perhaps it was to satiate her own anger with the idea of repentance, where she would be able to ride herself of all the wrong she had unintentionally done. 

Despite this, she knew it was a futile attempt and a waste of time. Yet, every week without failing, she would sit in her normal seat and listen to the droning words fed into the heart and minds of everyone present.

Today, everything seemed to be droning on, her head heavy and mind scattered as she gazed out of the highly placed stain glass windows. Once clear and surprisingly sunny skies transformed rapidly into dull greys, the prospect of a storm prominent.

And proven right once heavy rain drops pattered against the glass pains, loud and heavy like her heart. 

Gulping down the thick saliva and lump in her throat, she listened to the soft thump of the water against material, relying the nature amist the artificial facades around her. 

Everyone looked either bored, disgruntled or upset. Not one happy expression in sight.

How upsetting, she thought.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, her time at the church ended for the day. The water still throwing itself down heavily and demolishing anything in it's path, soaking anyone unfortunate enough not to be protected down to the bone. 

She had predicted this sudden turn in weather, her umbrella held tightly in her hand as she walked out into the dismal setting. Rain soaked the sides of her clothing before evaporating with a swift wave of her hand, her mood meloncholy and unbothered. 

A hood pulled over her head, she grunted almost inaudibly at the blur that sped past her, her attention deviating from her destination for a split second before returning.

Well, it would have had it not been for the blur tripping and falling into a particularly deep puddle. 

Puddle was cutting it short, it was more like a miniature lake that the blur had stumbled into.

Now that she was able to take a slightly closer look, she could see exactly what it was. It was a boy that sat usually just two rows ahead of her in the church, his shock of red hair and large framed glasses hard to miss, especially with the dull appearances of the others to contrast him.

Not finding it within herself to be completely heartless, she walked over to give him a helljng hand, the umbrella sheltering him from the vicious downpour.

"Here." Her words were soft, barely heard against the roar of the weather.

The boy looked up slowly, his bright amber hues reflecting her own state. The slightly wet pieces of hair sticking to her forehead, the moisture on her skin and the raindrops on her clothes. 

"Come on, you don't want to catch a cold now." Tentively, his cold, wet and small hand reached out to take her own, the fingers slipping between the cracks of her own and using her weight to pull himself up.

He murmured a soft 'thank you', gaze cast downwards as she allowed a homely smile to grace her lips.

"You're welcome, sweetie." Brushing a hand through his sopping wet hair, she dried it off quickly and unnoticeably, brushing a hand over his attire that clung to him like a second skin and making sure it wouldn't annoying him too much. 

He didn't seem to notice that she had been discretely using magic to dry him off, but the less people that noticee, the better. 

"There you go, darling. Stay safe, okay?" A tint of pink splayed across his cheeks at the words of care, nodding furiously and allowing his beautiful curls to bounce.

"Okay, thank you! Bye!" 

"Bye." And with that, he turned around and began to run, her lips moving in a silent spell to protect him from any further rainfall. 

And like the rainfall, she slipped away into te darkest of crevices and made her own way back home. 

 

She was back again, her word true as she failed to miss another week. Her mimd wondered as it always did, never once focusing on anything other than the emptiness she embodied. 

In the same corner she sat, no one daring to sit beside the lone woman who never spoke, never moved. Not that she minded at all, she was rather glad that no one tried to force conversation upon her. 

Swallowing the saliva that had pooled in her mouth, she watched as people placed money as an offering. She never did understand that paticular custom, why would god have a use for money? It was nothing more than a giant scam.

But then again, she didn't care. She never did. 

A coin slipped from between her fingers, the money rolling across the floor and landing just a few centimeters behind her feet. Reaching down, nimble digits searching for the coin blindly, she caught sight of a familiar shock of burning red hair.

He looked panicked, his hands pulling his pockets inside out as he searched for something. The closer the offerings came to him, the more panicked he became until she realised just why he was in such a jittery state. 

He had lost his money. 

Though she was unable to properly see his face, she could sense his devastation, his lips pursed tightly together from the slight side view she snagged. 

She was a conjouring witch, meaning that whatever she wished for, she would be able to create it, so long as it was real and viable. Anything that existed was at her advantage and could be made by using the air and materials around her, a type of magic only passed down through her linage, ending so far at her. 

So it didn't damage her own pocket at all when she hummed under her breath, allowing a few notes to slip themselves into his back pocket. The pocket which was soon invaded by his frantic hands, his smile full of relief and unadultered happiness as he held the money tightly. 

She had no idea how much exactly was given to him, but from the excited grin on his visage, it was enough to suffice. 

And so that was enough to make her dull day a little bit better, her own lips curled up into a simper very similar to that of the little red headed boy's.

 

The seating never changed, the same few faces and the occasional new one appearing in her line of vision. Another week of no one wishing to sit beside her, her breathing steady and flawless as she tilted her head. Locks of silk fell across her face, tickling her skin as she listened to the words that were repeated every week, the same tone and the same message. 

The light pouring from the stained glass windows cast a beautiful coloured pattern on the white tiles, though was soon disturbed by the curtains closing and blocking out any entertainment she had.

Her hand twitched, every week was so boring. How could normal people stand to listen to the repeated drivel week on week?

Suddenly, a rustle at her right side caught her attention, her head turning towards the source. 

There, sat in the seat that previously had never seen an occupant, was the red head boy. 

Plenty of other seats were available, it wasn't as though the church was ever full enough for there not to be. Raising the question as to why he was there. 

Seemingly noticing her questioning gaze, he smiled innocently at his senior. 

"Sorry, miss." 

"It's alright, darling. You haven't done anything." Innocent were undeserving of knowing the true horrors of the world they lived in, there was no need for her to taint his image of his surroundings. 

Her attention never did fully return to the front of the church, part of it lingering with the fidgeting child who sent not so casual side glances towards her - trying to take everything of her in with his big amber hues. 

After around a quarter of an hour of being stared at, she decided to bring it up in a teasing manner.

"Is there something on my face?" He flushed red at being caught, shaking his head furiously as he averted his gaze. 

"N-no. You're really pretty!" His words caught up with him, his embarrassment as clear as the flaming red painting his cheeks the same colour as his hair. 

"Ah, thank you. You're so cute!" Hand rubbing his sleeve, he looked down at the patch of skin that had been exposed from his movements, a large blue bruise formed on his once flawless skin. Despite trying his hardest to make sure that she hadn't spotted it, he wasn't quick enough to hide it from the almost omnipotent witch.

Her once heartfelt smile morphed quickly into a concerned frown, her hand reaching out in an almost motherly manner to hold his injured arm still, her eyes grazing over the injured patch of skin. 

"How did you get this?" 

"I tripped." His response was too quick, almost as though it was rehearsed over and over again.

It wasn't her buisness to pry, but she wished for him to remain healthy and safe. It would be a shame if his spark died out so soon. 

"Must have been a bad fall. Do you mind if I heal it?" Thinking she was only joking, he nodded enthusiastically and allowed his arm to go limp in her gentle hold, her fingers curled neatly around his wrist as she lifted the limb up to her lips.

The supple skin of her maws soothed his irritated and painted arm, the blue lightening significantly as she kissed the injured area tenderly. A thumb brushed over the skin, the blue fading instantaneously with the motion, his eyes widening to impossible lengths.

"There you are. As good as new."

His words were happy, broken up by the astonishment he felt. His mouth gaped open, the sound of the church ceremony ending barely registering. 

"Y-you just healed my arm!" Laughter rang from her lips, the noise soft and melodic. 

"Really? Quite awesome, don't you agree?" His hair bounced from the furious nodding he did, reaching out to hold onto her coat that only just slipped away from his cueious fingers. 

"Stay safe, okay?" No matter how much he could have wanted to stop her, she left like the wind. Her figure disappearing into the crowd as he was left to think over the rush of emotions in his head. 

 

He could barely stand still, he so desperately hoped she would come this week. She always did, but there was no way to guarantee that she would. Feet shuffling from impatience, he found himself wishing he was taller just so he could see over the crowd of people that were filtering into the open doors.

Finally, after ten minutes for straining his neck, he spotted the woman he was looking for and immediately bounded over. 

Her outfit was beautifully put together, and even he as a 12 year old boy had to acknowledge that. She looked rather indifferent, a stark contrast to the smile that bloomed on her face as soon as she saw him coming towards her. 

"Hi!" He was positively buzzing, eyes glimmering with excitement as she allowed a laugh or two to slip past her lips. 

"Hello," she paused, waiting for his name.

"Saeyoung, but my baptismal name is Luciel!" She hummed, fingers threatening in between his own subconsciously as she held it to her lips 

"In that case, may I call you Saeciel?" The sound of the unique name made him grin happily, nodding his head in a manner similar to a week ago. 

Her warm fingers curled around his hand, bringing it down from her mouth but still holding onto him lightly.

"I'n (y/n), but you can call me (n/n)." He repeated the name under his breath, testing out the syllables and was almost beside himself from giddiness. He had just recieved the name of a magical person, what was there to be upset about?

"W-wow." He could almost feels his palms become warmer from the mixture of nervousness and excitement pouring steadily into his bloodstream.

It was incredibly entertaining to watch him flounder over his words, his flustered being adorable as he struggled to communicate his words. 

"C-can you show me that trick again?" She was always happy to help in whatever way she could, her eyes closing as she nodded. 

Pressing a finger to her supple lips, she knelt down to his height.

"Of course, but we're going to have to do it someplace else." 

Naturally he was curious, head tilting as he blinked cutely with a jutting bottom lip as he voiced his short question: 'why?'

"They don't like people like me, honey. They will hurt me if they see me doing anything, I took a big risk last week." And there the answer to his question was presented boldly, his hold tightening as he began to tug her.

"Can we go to the park then? Please?" Adding the word in quickly, he attempted to use his looks to his advantage. Something he didn't really need to do, she would have agreed anyway. 

"Sure, lead the way." Not wishing to introduce him, she allowed him to set the pace and destination, her hold never once loosening or losing it's resolve.

Finally, he stopped at a desolate bench, the area rather secluded and away from others in one of the further corners of the serene park. With a quick pat to the area beside him, she sat down and smiled kindheartedly.

Though, she had only one thing to ask from him.

"Saeciel, you must promise to never tell anyone about this. I will be in huge trouble and you might never see me again, I'm trusting you, okay?" The weight of what he was about to find out was intriguing, his pride inflating at the thought of being worthy enough to know such a big secret.

"I promise!"

That was all the needed, the promise couldn't ever be broken even if he tried.

After taking a gulp of air, he slowly rolled up the sleeves of his arms and exposed himself for her eyes to take in, his own bright honey irises refusing to meet hers. 

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you." Her words were honey, the sweet words dripping from her voice as she lifted the scarred and bruised limb. In the same way that she had done previously, her lips grazed over the pale expanse of skin and allowed a thumb to follow suit.

The mark were clearing up, leaving nothing but flawless skin, his eyes wide with awe as everything began to disappear, the marks that had plagued him gone in the blink of an eye.

Moving onto the other arm, his arms were soon clear of any injury and marks, everything looking brand new as he pulled his sleeves down gleefully.

"Thank you, you're like an angel!" 

"You're most welcome," stiffling the snort at his analysis, she corrected him quickly, "I'm far from an angel, I'm really a witch." 

By now, he had no reason to doubt anything she said.

"If you don't tell, I'll buy you ice cream." Icecream? When was the last time he had the treat? If he recalled correctly, it had been well over five years since he had tasted the delicacy.

"Okay." And so, the taste of vanilla coated his tastebuds quickly, a hum of happiness slipping past his lips as he licked away the last of the frozen food, every last bite savoured.

It was time for her to go, she had done what she needed to do for the day.

"I'll see you soon, sweetie. Do stay safe." 

She couldn't have expected it, despite being on the earths floor for hundreds of centuries. The beat of her slow heart sped up at the affection she was embraced with, the front of her body soaking up the warmth she so desperately lacked. 

Slowly and in an almost child-like manner, she sung down to her knees and returned his tender and accepting embrace, not knowing just what she had unknowningly let herself into


	50. Churchbells~ || Child Saeyoung & Saeran x Older Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of child abuse and semi graphic violence.

The sky was so clear. 

So blue.

So different from the way her eyes viewed everything in dull shades of grey and white, the colour and life long since faded from her gaze. 

Inhale, the warm yet slightly cool air whistling softly as it oassed into her aching lungs, her heart as tight as the vines wrapped around the trees infront of her. 

Her head was tilted up, the white of the clouds so far away. 

Another deep breath and her mind wondered towards the little redhead boy, the cause of her current heartache. She wished so badly to help him, to guide him and allow him to prosper, but all she could currently do was heal the bruises he blamed on his clumsiness.

As if.

She wasn't stupid, she had been around him long enough to know that he was a careful and intelligent boy. Every move was graceful even if it was silly, he never tripped nor fell.

Something was happening and she couldn't find out unless he told her. Even if she was worried sick, she needed permission to help. Whether it be his or someone else's.

Eyes fluttered closed gently, ears listening intently to the excited chatter of the children surrounding her. The youth was beautiful, every generation gorgeous until adulthood caught them and erased them of their innocence. 

It was a Friday, and she wasn't surprised to hear such loud voices. It would be two more days before she was able to see him once more. 

With her tongue darting out to moisten her quickly drying lips, she swore she heard her name being called. 

That was impossible, right? The only person who called her so was 

"Saeciel." The name slipped past her like as she widened her eyes, taking in the sight of the boy as he ran up to her excitedly, like curled upwards and hues drowning in giddiness. 

Well, seeing him wasn't something that she was expecting for a while.

"(n/n)! Wow, you're here too!" Mood instantly brightened, she laughed with a soft nod.

"Of course."

Only after peering much closer, did she notice that another figure was with him, huddling behind the outgoing redhead's form. 

"Oh, who's this?" She hoped that the smile on her face showed her non threatening motives, she noticed that the other figure looked much like Saeyoung. An almost uncanny resemblance.

"This is Saeran! He's my twin brother." There was the answer to her unspoken question. 

Saeran seemed to be rather timid, avoiding her gaze as he held tightly onto his brother's hand; not that she blamed him. 

"Saeran is a beautiful name, you can call me (n/n). How are you, honey?" His cheeks flushed, fingers twitching as he stared hard at the ground bashfully. 

How cute, she thought. 

"I-i'm okay." Though a little encouraging from Saeyoung was needed, he had successfully spoken to her and that was enough to satisfy her. 

Standing up, her eyes flittered towards the ice cream van situated not too far away. This was the perfect opportunity to try and speak to Saeran. 

"How about some ice cream? You can get whatever you like?" She ain't miss the bright sparkle in their golden hues, eyes widening as Saeyoung spluttered a disbelieving 'really?'

"Of course, what kind of friend would I be otherwise?" The red tint across their cheeks didn't leave, intensifying further at her kind and genuinely heartfelt words. 

Taking Saeyoung's small hand, she guided them both gently over to the ice cream van where they both chose whatever they wished for. 

Saeran and her were similar both mint and vanilla, with the third scoop varying. Saeyoung was a little more versatile with his bubblegum, vanilla and chocolate. 

How he could consume three such drastically different flavours she had no clue. 

They were once again situated on the park bench, intentionally sitting beside Saeran only to ruffle his hair as he licked his ice cream.

Even so, despite his outer appearance, she could see his sleeves slipping from his thin wrists, revealing the marks that never seemed to wuite fully disappear. 

Now she had confirmation that it wasn't just Saeyoung being clumsy, Saeran was also being hurt. 

Though, now wasn't the best time to bring it up.

"Ah, Saeran. You're so cute, how come I haven't met you before?" The question was disguised as a halfhearted statement, her maws lifted in a smile that showed no harm nor ill intent.

"…Mother doesn't let Saeran out. I can only just get out on Sundays." The mother, the mother had to be the one behind everything. 

Her ice cream was finished quickly, her stomach stinging fainting from hunger that had now been satisfied. Saeyoung switched his seat, sitting in the other side of the older female so that she was now in the middle, his arm held out patiently with wide hues. 

"May I see your arm, sweetie?" He nodded, red curls bouncing happily as he rolled his sleeves up - his twin watching with equally as curious hues. 

Her lips were soft, plush against his red and slightly married skin, the impurities erasing themselves quickly under the watchful gaze of the younger brother. 

Soon his hands and arms were clear of any bruises, a soft brush of her finger tips sealing his fate. 

"There you are, all done." He thanked her profusely, gratitude that was waved off with a tinking laugh. If she could do anything to help, even something as small as healing his injuries, she would gladly for it a million times over. 

"Wow. Y-you healed his arms." The awe present in Saeran's voice made her blink, her attention now solely on him as he stared owlishly at her visage. 

"Mhm, it's magic." Dainty fingers traced ober the top of his long sleeves, her eyes pleading as Saeyoung asked the question for her. 

"Can she heal you, Saeran? She won't hurt you, I promise." Holding out her pinkie, she watched with baited breath as he kept his gaze locked on the finger before slowly lifting his own doll like hand to lace their fingers together.

"Okay. You can." Grinning broadly at his permission, she waited for him to roll up his sleeves.

She wasn't prepared for the sight that awaited her. 

All across his arms were bruises and scars, much deeoer and much darker than Saeyoung's had ever been. His flesh that should have remained untouched and beautiful was marked and printed on in the most disgusting manner. 

The ache in her heart deepened.

Almost as though she was handling fine china, she reached for his arm and placed light and fluttering kisses over his skin, nothing keft untouched as she wished away the marks and the harm that would otherwise haunt him.

He seemed to appreciate it too, his small murmurs of appreciation and joy making her feel the slightest things of happiness ring out in her otherwise lonely heart. 

Soon, she was done with both his arms too, his amazed expression once looking at his arms thanks enough. 

God, she really was so happy with them.

"T-thank you so much!" Even Saeyoung seemed to be at a loss, his mouth wide open as he held his brothers arm, poking the flesh every so gently.

"They're all gone. You're like magic!" The declaration was so pure, so innocent that she couldn't help but laugh heartily.

"Yes, I guess you could say that." 

Their time was closing to an end, the day and hours slipping by like butter as the sun began to set. She didn't want them to leave, to go back to whatever awaited them. She wanted to do more than watch from afar and heal their wounds after the deed was done.

She wanted so much that she couldn't have. 

"You two should be heading home. Be safe okay, I want you both healthy the next time I see you." They both nodded, eager to please the female who was nothing but kind to them.

"Okay! Thank you for the ice cream!" Saeran had broken free from his shell, much more comfortable than he had been hours ago.

"You're welcome, Saeran." Holding out her arms, she wished desperately for a hug that she received quickly after her action, the two pairs of arms wrapping around her without any restrictions.

Home. It felt like home.

"Promise me, if you ever need me you will call for me. I will always answer, always." Thumbs brushing over the delicate skin of their cheeks, they both nodded happily with smiles etched deeply into their faces.

"Call for me by my name, (y/n), and I will come," letting her arms drop to her sides, she gulped lightly as they waved while walking away, "stay safe, please."

 

It seemed that she had spoken much too quickly. Instead of seeing the pair more than once a week, she hadn't seen either in over three weeks. And that was worrisome, Saeyoung never missed the Sunday ceremony. He was almost as dedicated as she was. 

Something had happened and the environment feeling in her gut was not helping in the least, the sickening worry eating her alive as she dreamt her was through the last few weeks. 

She wished desperately that they would call for her by her name, it was the only way to guarantee that she would know where they were and that the bond truly was strong enough to offer protection.

The sky was murky, bordering on grey and storm like as she stood outside the church, hands clenched tightly at her side as she resorted to waiting. It was a pitiful sign and she knew it.

'God damn it, just say my name and call for me.' Almost getting irritated with them, she only just snapped out of her haze because of the soft tugging she felt. 

However, it was not a physical tugging. It was the call of her instincts, her name echoing loudly in her head along with ragged pants and laboured breathing. 

They had called.

After weeks of waiting, they had finally called.

All traces of anger washed away from her body, instead only concern and wishful thinking present as she ran in the direction of the pull.

She couldn't quite explain the situation, it was as though something was pulling her but also not. It felt like a voice was guiding her in the right path, the path to helping another for the first time in centuries.

She was selfish and disgusting but she would no longer allow them to suffer, their innocence was their world and she wished for nothing more than for it to remain.

The wind was tart against her face, whipping her hair and making her heart race at unfathomable speeds. Soon, she would be there soon. She could feel it.

The scenery changed gradually from tall and modern buildings into rather rundown and unstately houses that barely qualified as homes. Nothing about any of them radiated comfort or warmth, just the dull ache of indifference throbbing throughout the palpable air.

Though she had no time to dwell on such matters, her feet hitting the pavement hard as she ran as fast as she could. 

Their words were calling desperately, lips moving in silent prayers as they wished for her to come. To keep her promise.

And she would, she would rather die than betray them.

Finally, she reached the house where the yells were the loudest, ringing and echoing in her ears as she scranned frantically for a way to enter. The front door was too risky, and the window wasn't open either. The only other option was the back door who's lock was just rust and dirt, offering no resistance to her harsh tug and crumbling sttaight onto the matted grass underfoot.

Yanking open the door, ignoring the very real threat of being arrested for breaking and entering, she sprinted into the area where she could hear yelling and the terrifying sound of glass breaking. 

What she saw almost made her sick, rage soon eliminating that feeling of queasiness. 

Saeran lay on the floor, his hands clutching his head and she could see, see the bruises littering his skin under his pathetically thin shirt, could see the cuts on his face, could see the blood dribbling from between his fingers as he heaved. 

Disgusted, she was so utterly disgusted.

Her gaze connected with the woman with fiery red hair, no doubt their mother. 

"Who the HELL are you?! GET OUT!" Red was quickly filling her vision, barely noticing the trembling Saeyoung whom clutched her clothes with trembling fingers, his shaking voice calling out his younger brother's name.

She spoke no words, glaring down harshly at the disgusting woman. No way in hell was she ever going to see these twins again. 

At the sound of his name leaving stammering lips, the younger twin looked up and almost cried at the sight of his saviour, the woman who's glare was positively _terrifying_.

His feet almost gave out from under him as he tried to stand up, only to be pulled back harshly by his hair, a soft sob leaving him from the pain spreading throughout his head.

"(n/n)!" The sound of her beloved nickname passing his chapped and bloody maws, the anger in her close to snapping, a power she hadn't called on for centuries arising at the things she was seeing. 

"Let him go." Calmness in her tone berrayed nothing, her gaze cool and steady as she held out her hand. 

"Who are you to tell ME what to do?! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE." The woman's gaze snapped to Saeyoung who was cowering, his face buried in her clothing as he held back violent sobs. 

"How dare you. How are you laying a hand on these children? You absolutely vile and disgusting human being. Let him go, right **now.** " The adamant refusal from the woman finally made her snap, the shadows around the house lifting and creating a mist surrounding both her and Saeyoung, her eyes glinting golden as she hissed. 

"I said NOW!" Torrents of pure and unimaginable black consumed the woman, directly missing Saeran who was now free, stumbled over to grab onto her attire. 

A bright flash filled the room, their mother floating down from the once consuming tornado and laying peacefully on the floor, hair spread out around her head as she seemed to be asleep.

Their eyes were wide, line of sight soon averted as she brought them both close, enveloping them both in an attemlt to shied them from the sight of their now dead mother. 

Fear and an undeniable sense of calm racing through their bodies, exhausted from everything that had just haopening and readily welcoming the heat she gave. 

Finally, they had found peace.

"Let's go home. You never have to come back here."


	51. Churchbells~ 3 || Child/teen Saeyoung & Saeran x Older Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I ever specified, but the reader is a witch.

It broke her heart, it really did. 

Saeran trembled in her arms, his body jerking with the effort of keeping his sobs contained, hands rubbing furiously at the tender skin of his eyes as he heaved. Saeyoung wasn't doing much better, his eyes wide in shock as he clung tightly to her clothes - not that she minded in the least. 

She had been sat on the sofa with them both for a few hours now, just helping to calm them down and to let them know that they would never need to return to that godforsaken home.

"It's okay. She's never going to touch you guys again. You're safe, I promise." They were both tired and she could see it in their tired hues, sniffles slow and rather spread it out as they breathed. 

Wrapping an arm around them both, she made sure to rub their backs and pat their heads soothingly, running her fingers through their beautiful red hair. 

Slowly, they both began to fall asleep, tired out from the happenings of the day and wishing to take a rest. And she would let them rest for as long as they wanted, it was the least she could do after all.

It wasn't too difficult to transport them both to the kingsize bed in her room, making sure that they were both comfortable and covered with the duvet before turning off the light and leaving the room, Saeyoung's glasses on the bedside table neatly folded. 

Sure they had been rescued, but she had no clue if they wanted to stay under her care or not, it also wasn't her place to make that kind of decision for them. They didn't know her that well so she wouldn't have been too surprised if they were opposed to the idea. She did hope that they decided to stay with her, but she would keep her opinions to herself in the meanwhile.

In the event that they did choose to stay with her, she needed to make sure that they had the proper necessities. And so the next few hours or so of her time was spent in the front room, creating various items of clothing for them both to wear. 

If they wanted anything more, they were always welcome to ask and she would happily grant their request, it was what they deserved. 

They had been starved of love and affection so long and she hoped that she could have at least lessened the burden on their hearts, even if it was by a tiny amount. 

Licking her lips in concentration, she almost didn't hear the soft wails from her room that drifted through the air. Instantly she was up and running, her heart in her throat as she thought of a million different scenarios.

Thankfully no one was hurt, but Saeran's face was covered in messy and streaks tears that dampened his cheeks and left them sticky to the couch. He had shoved his thumb into his mouth to try and stiffle the sound of his sobs but it still managed to come through.

"Saeran. Are you okay?" Her voice was soft, soothing as she sat beside him and hummed with a single hand asking through his sweaty locks.

He shook his head, eyes screwed shut as droplets of salty liquid travelled down his visage, his hands grabbing for her shirt and burying himself in the comforting scent.

The fabric clutched in his hand was now messy and more than likely stained, but she couldn't find it within her tired and echausted state to care, instead choosing on focusing in the boy in her arms that was using her as a security blanket.

"It's okay Saeran, it was only a dream." Honey, thick and warm honey reflected in the voice as she soothed his rampant fears, taking them until they were nothing not than little ants scrubbing around. 

The tiredness she had felt from earlier was also beginning to creep up on ber too, her eyes heavy and droopy as she struggled to stay conscious, eventually succumbing to memory of have her arms pull Saeran into her chest in a protective stance.

 

Voices mumbled all sround her, the once dead weight in her arms no longer 'dead'. She could tell that they were trying to be quiet, but unfortunately for all parties involve, she was no longer engulfed within the comforting only blackness that sleep provided. 

"Did you guys sleep well?" The question was spoken thickly from the lack of use of her vocal chords for a while. The two twins nodded happily, their small complexions looking miles better from the ragged state she had rescued them in. 

She did feel some twinges of regret for what she had done to their mother, but it wasn't as though she deserved to have such angels under her roof.

"Yes, thank you (n/n)." He laughter tinkled in the air, his hair ruffled messily as his giggles mirrored her own. 

Suddenly, her hands came together in a sharp clapping noise, scaring them both by accident.

"You guys must be hungry. Let's go and take you to the kitchen." Despite the fact that she had only woken up a few minutes ago, the confidence and the joy she exuded was enough for both of them to get up and follow her like puppies to their owners.

Gesturing for them to at the table, the wonder and amazement in her eyes was something she knew she would never get her fill of. 

Priceless twinkles in their gorgeous amber hues lit up their faces as they watched the utensils fly without any help, creating batters and mixtures before pouring themselves onto the pan, the female working on chopping up fruit and melting chocolate.

They were salvating at the sight of the quickly prepared and finished food, yet they made no move to touch anything infront if them, Saeran's fingers twitching as he itched to devour the perfect looking pancake on the plate.

"Is something the matter?" She asked, looking over at Saeyoung who only offered a wonky smile.

"N-no." With a soft gasp, she realised exactly shy they weren't eating.

They were scared to.

"It's fine, you guys can eat this. I made it for you." At the sound of her confirmation, they were much quicker though their slightest hesitance still remained. 

The question she had was eating away at her insides, chipping at her soul with every passing second that she wasn't there to protect them.

She knew that she wasn't able to protect them in the past and she despised the feelings of helplessness and sadness that seemed to look over her. Nor could she stand the aura of depression that was over the two almost teenager boys.

Finally, she just decided that she may as wel.

"Hey you guys, what do you think about living with me, wod you like that?" It wasn't a matter of her being able to support them, it was more a matter of whether or not they wanted to stay.

The twins paused, sharing a glance before looking at her with determination smouldering in their hues.

"Yes!" 

No trace of second guessing not hesitation, a pure answer so quickly and so honestly that she could almost feel herself beginning to tear up.

Forks and knives clattered against the ceramic plates as they held her tighrly in her hug, their small arms wrapping as tingly ad they could, her own arms engulfing them happily as she sooke in a soft whisper.

"I'll make you both so happy, trust you. You'll never be upset again."

 

Even after five years had gone, none of them had changed in the least. Infact, she had to say that she thought Saeyoung's mental age had instead regressed into that of a 5 year old's instead of a 17 year old's. 

"Sae! Saeciel! Up, or I'll zap you." No response came from either, promoting her to enter the room closest to her, which just so happened to be Saeran's 

"Sae, haul arse." He merely grunted, turning away from her with a rough tug of the covers, amusing her greatly as she sat at his side.

"Ah, come on. You need to wake up." Fingers gently brushed against the top of his forehead, brushing away his blessed white hair from his vision in a show of tender affection.

"I have something special for you both." Hoping that would make him stir, she deflated visibly when he only moved away, heading disappearing under his pillow.

"Can't it wait?" The sound of his voice was muffled, amusing her more than disappointing her.

"No, it can't. Up or I'll turn your hair blue for the entire day." He huffed, head popping out from underneath the covers to glare at her, his mesmerising hues narrowed in mock distaste.

"Silly boy, you're so cute." Pinching his cheeks jokingly, she moved away before he could offer any resistance apart from his vocalised annoyance towards her actions. 

A soft 'I'm not cute' made her laugh as she walked out of the room, a wave of her hand sending a breeze through his room that made his blanket fly straight off of him.

Ignoring his joking grumblings, she walked towards Saeyoung's room that was only two doors away, a short walk down the hallway. 

Knocking on the white wooden door, she opened the door slightly and extended her hand to send a blue ball of flames to hurtle inside of the room, earning a yelp from inside.

"Nice try, maybe next time." A slightly cocky smirk played on her lips as she watched the elder twin frown, his hair ever so slightly singed at the tips as he climbed down from his perch atop his door.

"How did you know?" 

The only response she gave was a soft tap to her nose, a gentle laugh bubbling from her lips as she took his hand and guided him gently towards the living room. Saeran followed not too far behind, the room pitch black as they all entered.

"What's going on?" Saeran asked, his hand pressing the light switch on instinct to reveal the absolute state of the room. 

Covering every inch was different kinds of ribbons, banners and bows. The centrepiece being the absolutely huge pile of gifts in the middle, each wrapped expertly with little stickers of cheesy smiley faces plopped haphazardly onto the paper. 

"Happy birthday my beautiful Choi boys!" The nickname didn't go unnoticed, but wasn't commented on as they both stared with wide eyes. Every single year they always thought she wouldn't be able to outdo the year before, but she did and in the most extravagant manner.

God, they were so grateful.

"You didn't have to do this, (n/n)." The soft voice of Saeran made her whirl around, a brilliant display of her cloak swirling around her as she faced them with a fire in her eyes.

"I do this because I want to, not because I'm obligated to." Shooting down his claims that she felt like she had to do this, she gestured for them to go and quickly open the presents up while she whipped up their favourite breakfast. 

Every once in a while she woukd cast glances over to the two twins who were slowly and carefully unwrapping every gift. savouring the crinkling of the paper under their fingers like it was an illusion waiting to be shattered. 

"Oh my god. You really-" Saeyoung's exclamation made her look upwards, a smile on her lips as she watched him hug the latest laptop she could find to his chest, a beautiful glimmer in his eyes. 

"Thank you!" She really loved making them happy.

Although Saeran did not vocalise his gratitude, she knew that he was more than overjoyed. The way he held his items to how body was more than telling.

They both received phones and money, along with clothes she knew they would like before they clambered over to the table with piles of food. Varieties of pancakes and waffles with syrup and fruits were available, the two eating happily as they spoke their thanks.

Halfway through the meal, she asked what they would like, a sudden sense of deja vu hitting her.

"Saeciel, what would you like to do." It was tradition that Saeyoung picked what he wanted to do first, considering he was the elder.

He seemed to be in deep thought for a few seconds before he decided on what he wanted. 

"Can we go to the fair? The rides look cool." Looking towards Saeran for confirmation, his nod meant that the plan was now set. The fair it was.

 

All the rides were absolutely insane or stupidly tame, no middle ground in any of them. Saeyoung had practically begged for them to go on the big roller coaster, finally managing to drag Saeran onto the killer ride with the promise of taking his share of the chores for a week. He drove a hard bargain and with his charisma, he had it down to a T.

Though she did have to use a spell on Saeran to prevent any vomiting, none of them could say that they didn't have any fun. 

Her personal favourite ride had been the eide that fluctuated between breakneck fast and turtle slow, going through loops and turning upside down as they stood. 

They both looked like they were going to shit themselves, but pulled through for her in the end. They would both do anything to make her happy, it was te least they could do in return for her giving up her life to save theirs. 

With stomachs full of junk and fried foods, they headed home with light hearts. Now it was Saeran's turn to choose what to do.

"Sae, what would you like to do?" 

Like his twin, he thought for a few moments before deciding. 

"Can we go home and just watch a film?" The younger preferred to stay home and not over exert himself, he was just more in his comfort zone in the place he called home.

"Sure. You can pick what we watch." Smiling at the prospect of watching his favourite show with his two favourite people, he could barely contain his excited smile. 

'Good' she thought, 'he deserves to smile.'

Soon, they were all tightly bundled up together under one big blanket, cookies in her lap as well as vanilla, mint and chocolate ice cream to eat aswel. It seemed like no one had truly gotten their full of unhealthy foods for the day. 

The drama on the TV was very interesting, set in the future where soulmates were a true and intergrained part of society. The drama focused around a group of people who wished to go against the system and be with people who they wished to be with and their hardships and internal struggles. 

The actual programme itself had finished a while ago with their goals achieved, but a sequel was set to come out in a few months from now.

The sun was setting outside, most of their day having been spent at the fair and in the sunlight meaning that her powers hadn't been as strong as they usually were. 

Fingers twitching, she silently created small animals in the palm of her hand, grabbing the attention of Saeyoung who had been paying little attention to the screen anyway.

"How do your powers work?" It was a question that he wished to ask before, however he always seemed to forget it whenever he had the oppertunity to ask.

The inquiry also caught the attention of Saeran, his head tilted towards her in a silent observation.

"It comes from ths darkness, the shadows that surround us. It gives me the ability to control it or create things from it. It's a pretty cool ability and linage." They agreed, the thing they had seen over the years seemed impossible, both of them finding it very hard originally to accept a supernatural being like her. 

"You can fight?" She nodded at the question, images of her fighting of soldiers in the middle ages filling the air like a screen infront of them.

"Of course. I think the reason I was cursed was because I was too good at everything." Laughing, and almost bitter sound within it, she sighed and removed the images.

Time moved quickly, midnight hitting quickly with the last episode of the season just ending. The two boys at either side were struggling to keep their eyes open, leaning into her for support and warmth.

An arm curled around her own, bringing it into his chest. A head of silver resting against her shoulder as his eyes became shielded from view. Meanwhile, glasses pressed up against the crook of her neck, her fingers quickly working to remove then from his face.

Happy, she was honestly happy. And so were they.

A soft mumble from both their lips only confirmed that feeling.

"I love you." 

"I love you both too."


	52. Brother Dearest~ || V x Fem Sister Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a request by Eeveewonder. 
> 
> Contains slightest spoilers and mentions of domestic abuse. Set in the anotyer story timeline

His eyes stung.

They stung so so _so _much, the pain almost unbearable as salty droplets trailed down his cheek, dropping off of his chin and splattering on the ground.__

__He wasn't sure if it was his tears or the injuries or perhaps even the emotional pain he was in that caused them to hurt so badly, to the extent that he wished to gouge them out._ _

__They were only a reminder of what he had failed to do. His failure to do his one god given duty, to _love_ and to **cherish** the one who had stumbled into his life unannounced - leaving behind nothing but a broken heart and eyes._ _

__He did neither, and _god_ did he try his hardest to fulfill them. But it didn't work, it never did snd it never would have._ _

__It was just harder to admit when he wasn't facing an empty coffin, the body of his beloved not even close to being in his proximity. Guilt consumed him; his family, his friends, crying over someone who was never going to come back to him, to _them.__ _

__Physically or mentally._ _

__This was his own personal hell, and the pain in his eyes only served as a reminder to his sins and his failures that were blindingly bright._ _

__

__He could barely sleep, the fatigue he had felt earlier in the day just seemed to have dissipated. Helpless and weak, the two adjectives that described him perfectly as he stared up at his bkand white ceiling, loneliness creeping up on him like a tsunami wave that wished to engulf him._ _

__Exhaustion seeped into his bones, but try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to sleep._ _

__3:42AM._ _

__By now his clock's only purpose was to taunt him, to laugh and mock him cruelly as he was unable to encade himself in the throws of sleep. All he asked for was some peace from his inner turmoil, and it seemed like even that was asking for too much._ _

__Turning onto his side, he sighed. The stingjng always did get worse whenever he was unable to sleep and get a sufficient amount of sleep, which was slowly becoming an everyday occurrence._ _

__He would have sworn if he felt like he could have._ _

__Praying for something, _anything_ (he was getting incredibly desperate) to distract him, he could have cried once more from hapoiness as the doorbell rang._ _

__Not once did he question exactly why on earth someone was at his door so early in the morning, nor did he question the motives of such a late night visitor. He just wanted something to get rid of his attachment to the world, to relive him of his burdens for even a few seconds._ _

__He wanted to be able to breathe without feeling like dying._ _

__Almost stumbling in his haze to get to the door, his vision was bleary and it was certainly not safe enough for him to be walking about without any lights on, his toe stubbed at least twice on furniture that he didn't even realise was in the way._ _

__The doorbell rang again and he muttered a soft 'coming' knowing full well that they wouldn't have heard it. It was more of a reassurance than anything else._ _

__Finally he reached the door, his hands trembling ever so slightly as he jerked open the door. "Sorry for taking so long."_ _

__A playfully annoyed huff greeted his ears, his vision still hazy as he tried to blink away the fatigue and burn in his eyes. He could barely make out who was infront of him._ _

__The person crossed their arms, a guesture that was slowly becoming clearer with every blink._ _

__"That's so rude. Is that how you greet all your guests? Tut tut." The words of the person infront of him made him stop, jaw dropping as he struggled to breathe._ _

__It couldn't be…_ _

__Could it?_ _

__"Is that you, (y/n)?" His breathless question was met with a laugh, a click of a tongue following soon after in a playful manner._ _

__"Wow," the female hummed, fingers drumming on her thigh, "do I really look that different?" She had meant it as a rhetorical question but he had still answered with a shake of his head._ _

__Gulping thickly, his emotions swirling messing in his chest as he stepped aside to let her in. "Come in."_ _

__Nodding at him, she dragged her suitcase in behind herself and yawned tiredly, arms stretching above her head as she sat down on one of the couches._ _

__She was here, after three long years of not seeing him, she was back._ _

__"Why are you um, here?" He hadn't meant to sound so brash, instantly regretting his words as her eyebrow had shot up in what seemed to be a mixture of surprise and apprehension._ _

__The hat placed neatly on top of her head was now on her lap being used as a distraction. "I finished all my studies and I thought I should come and visit you. I guess I didn't account for the timezones."_ _

__That was right, the time zone difference between England and South Korea was a little ridiculous, he didn't mind in the least however, he was just happy to see his little sister; the only remaining family that he still whole-heartedly loved._ _

__Even if she wasn't actually blood related to him._ _

__"Yeah, he wanted to get rid of me but I've come back to live her in Seoul. He's not becoming free that easily." It was almost a little sad how pushed away she had been after turning into a teenager, but he sympathised. He guessed his father had just turned sour to the idea of having an adopted daughter years after actually doing the deed._ _

__Soft breathing punctuated the still air, an aura of calmness settling in his apartment despite the completely uncalm way he had answered the door._ _

__Her brilliant eyes looked at him, rolling her his every festure before her own morphed into a froen, lips tugging downwards. "How are you, Jihyunnie? Are you doing okay?"_ _

__'Ah,' he thought, 'she always was too attentive for her own good.'_ _

__What more could he do other than smile reassuringly and nod his head to pretend that he was fine, that his eyes weren't killing him and that his thoughts weren't burning him from the inside out?_ _

__"Really?" Hues bore into him, her gaze sharp and penetrative, "please don't lie to me."_ _

__Inhaling sharply, he waved away her concerns and tried to ease her nerves. He didn't want her to get involved with the shit show that was his life, she deserved to be blissful in her ignorance._ _

__She saw that he wasn't going to elaborate any further, her hands clenching in frustration. It was always annoying when he refused to tell her how he felt, unintentionally putting up a wall and forcing her to try her hardest to break it. Sometimes her efforts worked however, most of the time it didn't._ _

__Wanting to change the topic quickly, he smiled reassuringly and gestured vaguelly to her rather large suitcase._ _

__"Did you pack up your entire house?" Knowing what he was doing, she didn't quite feel like calling him out so went along with his subject change._ _

__Patting the top of her suitcase, she glared jokingly at him. "Maybe so. I'm planning to hog your house until I find my own." His smile faltered and her own dropped._ _

__"Only if you'll let me. I can stay in hotels, don't worry," Eyes widening, he noticed just how that must have looked with his smile falling. He waved his hands dismissively and chuckled, the sound light and airy._ _

__"No, it's alright. You can stay as long as you need," For once she didn't doubt him, sincerity etched into his hues._ _

__The silence was nice, comfortable even. The sound of their soft breathing punctuated the room; relaxing them both until another yawn spilled from her tired form._ _

__Standing up, he took the handle of her suitcase and guestured for her to follow, wheeling it behind him and moving the luggage smoothly as she tried to grab it. "You're a guest here."_ _

__"Don't be silly, Jihyunnie," With a soft boop to her nose, he opened up one of the spare bedrooms - which just so happened to be adjacent to his own._ _

__"If you need anything," he started, leaning against the doorframe as she began to take out nightwear, "I'm just next door."_ _

__She smiled, giving him a soft thumbs up that soon dropped as he left the room with a wave and a barely concealed yawn._ _

__"The same goes for you."_ _

__

__Two months had passed since she had taken up residence in the Kim household, stealing one of his spare room and generally bringing character into his home. Sure she was always shoved aside by their father, but that didn't mean that she wanted to do the same to her brother._ _

__"I swear on my brother's goddamn crocs that I will slap you the fuck up, Luciel." A snort could have been heard from the other end of the line, belonging to the red haired hacker that had quickly taken a liking to her._ _

__"Really? He has crocs? Wow~!"_ _

__Of course it was just like Jihyun you walk straught in as soon as she had claimed he owned crocs, his eyebrows shooting straight upwards almost into his hairline._ _

__"No I don't own crocs." A muffled curse escaped her as she muttered something quickly in english iho the phone before a 'bye' followed._ _

__Phone tucked into her pocket, she grinned cheerily at her elder brother who watched with an amused glint in his eyes and crossed arms._ _

__Her stiff and overly smiley form made it incredibly hard not to burst into laughter. "I wasn't aware that I owned crocs."_ _

__"Well, you do now." Patting the space beside her, she moved up and made grabby hands towards his camera, pleading silently with him to see his pictures._ _

__Who was he to resist his own sister?_ _

__Quickly taking up the spot that was given to him, he lifted his camera from his chest and began to flicker through the many gorgeous photographs that he had taken. All of them were full of nature , beautifully captured with light illuminating all the perfections and leaving behind nothing but a stunning pictyre._ _

__"Wow."_ _

__He continued to flicker through the photos, letting her gaze at them with wide eyes and amazement._ _

__"All the talent went to you, how unfair." Joking hitting his side, he chuckled and pressed once more to move the pictures along._ _

__That was a mistake._ _

__Picture of *Rika* and himself was displayed on the screen. His head lay ontop of her own glowing blonde licks, her ensnaring green irises only reminding him of what he was losing._ _

__They looked so beautiful and happy together and he couldn't bare it._ _

__Inhaling sharply, he turned his camera off and sighed, staring straight ahead ad he was unwilling to see his sister's reaction to his sudden change in mood._ _

__It was quiet, his blood rushing at a million miles per hour and pounding in his ears, a thick gulp of air taken in as his fingers curled into the plush material of the sofa_ _

__"You loved her, didn't you?" The past tense hurt, his heart feeling as though it was going through another bout of agony._ _

__Although he wasn't strong enough to give a verbal response, he managed to nod._ _

__He loved her, he really did._ _

__Hand slipping over his own, her hand squeezed his reassuringly, preparing him for what she was going to say._ _

__"All I know was that she was your fianceé. I know you met her at an art exhibit and that she did what she did. But I don't know **why**." Even though he was sure that she was implying the suicide, he couldn't help but feel like she was hinting towards something else. _ _

__His confused expression made her sigh, hand tightening around his own to try and comfort him. She knew what she was going to say but what she didn't know was how he was going to react._ _

__"Jihyunnie," she breathed, unable to meet his eyes, "I know she hurt your eyes."_ _

__Feeling him stiffen, she hummed gently, trying to ease his nerves. He breathed shakily, trying to reign in the slew of emotions that threatened to overcome him._ _

__Somehow he had managed to keep his voice steady. "I don't know what you're taking about, (y/n)." The use of her name only solidified her ideas._ _

__"Please don't lie to me. You know how much I hste being lied to," he knew and he hated that he was trying to pull the wool over her eyes. "She hurt you and you're covering up for her."_ _

__He felt like he couldn't breathe, he needed air. How could she have known? He tried to be so careful but she had seen straight through him._ _

__A thumb caressed his knuckles, her head still facing forward._ _

__"I knew from the day I arrived," for so long she had known?_ _

__"Your eyes were swollen and you winced whenever you blinked. Crying doesn't do that to you," stopping, she allowed him to take him in the information, "your vision is getting worse too. You stumble into easily seen things and you rub your eyes constantly. Whenever you see her, you narrow your eyes and sometimes touch them." She paused._ _

__" _She hurt you._ " _ _

__She didn't look at him at once and he wasn't sure if he should have been grateful or not._ _

__The tears hurt as they slipped past his eyes, trailing down his cheek as he tried his hardest to blink them away, "h-how?"_ _

__It was a question he already knew the answer to but couldn't help but utter._ _

__"I know you Jihyunnie, I know you well enough to figure that you loved her, **love** her with all your whole heart. It wasn't enough, was it? She harmed you and that will never be forgiven." _ _

__He knew she was right. he knew it deep in his gut but he couldn't bring himself to admt it. He was so trapped in hinself allowing that he felt like he couldn't breathe, he couldn't see how far he had fallen into a hole that wasn't meant to be a hole._ _

__Shaking, he could barely feel himself, let alone control his emotions; only just registering the fact that she had pulled him into a tight hug, rubbing his back and placing her head on his shoulder._ _

__"Rika loved you, and you her but you got hurt. Harmed because of your devotion, that's fucked up," her fingers tracked slow patterns into his back, trying to ease his suffering. "Love like that will burn you out instead of warming you up. I don't want you to be crushed under the weight of the burdens you carry."_ _

__Eyes closing, he rest his head and remained quiet. How could he oppose something that was so true and so well spoken?_ _

__He couldn't, was the answer._ _

__"I might not know from personal experience, Jihyunnie, but I know enough to see that you're in pain. Heal your eyes and your heart."_ _

__The words she spoke resonated within him, and although the wounds were still fresh and likely to scar, he could find some light in what she said._ _

__Maybe he could heal his heart, move on past the sunlight and appreciate the moon for it's subtle beauty. Love was meant to be a beautiful thing that empowered you, not hurt you._ _

__Maybe he could live, knowing that he tried his hardest to love and cherish someone that stopped feeling the same way._ _

__Maybe he could start over without the weight pulling him down to the ground and threatening to pulverise him._ _

__He could live once he let go._ _


	53. Tick Tock~ || Saeyoung x Fem Reader

The night air was cool and crisp, beautiful and cold against his warm and smarting skin. 

He was so tired, not too much in the physical sense but more so mentally and emotionally. Thoughts swirled in his head, enveloping everything else but his current predicament. Knowing that he was going to be in deep trouble, he couldn't bring himself to worry, let alone care.

Anxiety and frustration bubbled up inside of him, the only two emotions he felt he could feel. 

God, he was _so_ done.

Wind blew across his face, the fabric of his hood rippling and creating friction against his bright red hair. All he wanted to do was get away, away from everything in the world and just live as he wanted.

To be free. Free of any burden and any responsibility, free of anyone knowledge of the world and its unfair ways, free of the deep rooted heartache that never seemed to leave him no matter how hard he tried to make himself happy.

He was Luciel, a no better than a chicken locked up in it's pen.

Almost laughing bitterly at his thoughts, he frowned harder, the ticking against the soft skin of the underside of his wrist growing irritatingly orominentt.

He hardly ever glanced at his watch, damning the system whenever he would see it and be reminded of how much longer he had to wait until he saw the person he was meant for, the person that would complete him and offer him solance.

Hours would always waste away during his childhood, eyes glued to the slowly ticking numbers on his hand with excitement that would be crushed slowly within years to come.

Sometimes, he did wish that he could meet them now, to hold them close and to allow himself closure and someone that would help to drag him from the pit of self dispair he was slowly drowning in.

Pulse matching the dull ticks of the watch, he allowed his hood to drift down and reveal his face. It didn't matter anyway, there was no cameras not any security around this particular area. And even if there had been, it wasn't much of an issue with his talent in hacking.

The neon green of the sign in one of the only convenience stores in the area glowed in the dark inky black of the night sky, the stars shimmering brightly with twge moon's beauty half hidden.

If only they hadn't lost their beauty when he was young, he might have appreciated the light and the warmth they brought. Maybe he would have been happier.

A meloncholy feeling hit him hard, a breathlessness overtaking his lungs as he breathed in the air of the night. 

There was no aim nor a destination for his travels, his heart yearning to go outside; and for once he had not ignored that yearning despite the ruckas it would bring. Absence made the heart grow fonder and he knew that all too well.

Thumb brushing over his pale skin, he entered the store and allowed a few seconds to adjust from the sudden temperature change from cold to warm.

Hands brushing against his phone as he pulled them out of his pocket, he decided that he should buy atleast something to keep him going for a while. 

Snagging a bottle of Dr.Pepper, he looked around for some crisps before the golden packaging of his saviour called out to him. But before he could reach for it and claim his prize, it was snatched away by a rather tired looking teen, no doubt a student who was pulling an all nighter. 

"That sucks." Unaware that he has just spoken out loud, the soft chuckle that had escaped someone's lips behind him, startled him to no end. 

"I have two if you would like one?" Turning around, he saw a woman that couldn't be described as anything other than beautiful. Her eyes were wide and so innocent, yet a tinge of darkness lay dormant, her hair was gorgeous, styled in a way that complimented her. She wore no make up, probably due to what time it was and the effort required to do so. 

A sharp sting that ran up his arm drew him from his thoughts, his gaze travelled down to his arm that he was cradelling. 

"Whoa, are you okay? I didn't realise honey Buddha chips could create such a reaction." She seemed utterly unaffected and he wondering for a split, heartwrenching second, if he was one of those unfortunate souls that was destined to have an unrequited soulmate. 

"D-did you not feel anything?" Catching his gaze, she looked downwards at her arm and pulled her sleeve up.

There, in bold 0's, was his confirmation.

00:00:00:00:00

"Oo, you're my soulmate. It's nice to meet you, In (y-" He couldn't do this. Not now.

Haphazardly shoving her aside, he bolted out of the convenience store and left her with her hand outstretched and pain blooming in her dull hues. Not once did he look back to see the mess he had created.

 

He hated himself. He well and truly despised every inch of his being.

He had just left her, running away from the person who the universe had chosen for him, had chosen to support him and cherish him. And he had thrown it all away because he was nervous.

Scratch that. 

More like fucking **terrified**.

Everything in his life was a mess, he was always in danger and was a danger. Living in constant fear of dying and being murdered without a trace mean no security, being a hacker mean norhing if you were controlled by forces that couldn't be traced. 

Even so, he couldn't stop himself from wanting to know who fate had paired him with. Since he had so foolishly ran off before she could have given her full name, the only way he could think of traveling her down was by stalking her though the cameras from that night. 

It was incredibly creepy and he knew that, but he couldn't have cared less. Just one more glimpse of her beautiful face and he would be satisfied.

The cameras for the store were shoddy at best, the security laughably easy to surpass and hack. He didn't care too much though, it made his life easier. 

After he had ran out, he watched the footage as she let her army fall limply to her side, before picking up the can of Dr Pepper on the floor and the two packets of crisps, paying for them all before leaving the store nonchalantly.

As though he had never even touched her. 

Her calm demeanour maybe have only been further amplified by the crap quality of the cameras, but it hurt him to think that she was so unbothered.

It was hard to keep track of her once the lighr of the store began dwindling, but the soft glow of the street lamps provided enough light to make out her silhouette.

Suddenly, she turned a hard corner into an alleyway notorious for its suspicious activities, especially during the night. Why was she turning into that part of the city?

Unless… 

There was no way someone as warm as her could live in one of the most rundown areas of Korea. But then again, it wasn't as though he had never seen his fair share of poverty.

Swallowing thickly he decided that today he would go looking for her, or die trying. 

 

Hood pulled over his head in a manner similar to the day he had met her, he walked with his head down and into the alleyway. He wasn't nearly foolish enough to do in when it was night, 100% certain that he would be the victim of some sort of crime. So instead he (smartly) opted for going during the day.

The only problem was that he had no clue where she resided.

Looking around, honey hues glazing over every part of his surroundings, he found no trace of her. Maybe he could ask someone that look nice enough to answer?

Spotting a woman leaning against the wall, her head bowed as she typed away on her phone, he decided to approach her. Her aura was calm, inviting and held an air of peace and integrity.

"Excuse me, do you know a wo-" Her eyes met his and his entire world came to a stand still, it was her. 

She too seemed to be taken aback, her eyes widening for a split second before her lips cudled upwards into a soft smile.

"Ah, Mr runaway soulmate. I wasn't expecting to see you again." Cringing slightly at her words, he could only smile sheepishly.

"Sorry about that, I didn't know what else to do." Instead of a judgemental stare, she merely tucked her phone away and held out her hand, guesturing for him to follow. Which he did, he trusted her whole heartedly.

"Let's leave this place, the people here aren't too nice to new comers." Taking her word as the truth, he walked beside her as they walked out of the alleyway and down the road into some more populated streets. 

Stores and bakeries lined the path, the scent of pastries and sweets filling the air with a sweet sugary tang. 

They stopped infront of a small café, the scent of coffee and freshly baked vanilla cakes strong and almost overwhelming.

"What would you like?" Opening his mouth to protest, she pressed a finger to her chapped maws and ordered hot chocolate for them both before removing her finger.

"My apologies. I didn't want to cause a scene." All he did was smile, her words as sweet as the events surrounding the two and as addictive as the caffeine being consumed.

She hummed, the tone low and melodic befkre she began to speak. 

"What's your name? Mine is (y/n) since I never did get to finish." 

"I'm… Saeyoung." Her lips partied, an 'o' shape forming in her plush lips as she smiled.

"What a beautiful name."

Every word was like a story, a book and a tale that he never wanted to finish. Honey and milk couldn't have compared to the soothing tone, all of his worries melting away as she spoke, thunder brushing tentively over his knuckles. 

Every pout, every laugh and every wrinkled smile made his heart soar.

"You're very beautiful. I like the colour of your eyes and your hair is stunning." She was like air, as refreshing as the night he had taken a walk. 

Flushing lightly at the compliment, he returned it with a small joke that earned a laugh in return. 

Exhaling into his hot chocolate, he couldn't help but admire her. Maybe the clocks on his hand was right, maybe they did what they were supposed to do.

All he knew was that he was no longer Luciel. He was Saeyoung, a man freed from his sins.


	54. Find us~ || No pairing x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains violence and spoilers for Ray's route.

"The coordinates are?" This entire thing was a suicide mission and she knew it, Saeran had urged her to try and rethink her rash actions, but once she had made up her mind there was nothing anyone could ever do to change her unrelenting mind.

The silence that followed made her sigh, her annoyance short lived as she knew that he was only quiet due to his worry and tendency to over think.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" His voice was so soft, so quiet and hopeful that she would change her mind, stop herself from running head first into almost certain death.

But they both knew that was nwvee going to happen, not when two lives were at stake. 

Two lives and the owners of which she knew incredibly well, almost well enough to call her own family. Family that she was forced to abandon when her own situation became unbearably rough and she was forced into hiding.

"I'm sure, Saeran. I can't leave Saeyoung and Mary by themselves. I'm the most qualified for this kind of thing." If she had spent as much time convincing herself as she did with him, she would certainly have been well into the building by now, gunning down anyone who dared to oppose her.

"I know. But I can't help but worry, I don't want you to be hurt." She hummed softly, fingers tapping against the dashboard of her car as she leaned back into the soft seat, seatbelt digging ever so slightly into her flesh.

"I know. Thank you for caring Saeran, but we have to go and help them. I won't forgive myself if they die and I could have saved them." He knew just how much the two meant to her and how much it had hurt her to leave them without any notice; forced into running to a different country for all their safety because she was deemed a wanted criminal.

"…The cathedral he used to attend, near my old house," He paused, "be safe, okay?"

Almost laughing at the heartfelt and aslihhtly choked question, she breathed out a soft 'of course.'

Knowing exactly what he meant by the location she had given, she thanked him breathily and set her car into motion, driving and quickly and as haphazardly as she could to reach her end destination.

And she did so in record time, reaching tge place in half the time the sat nav had displayed, ignoring the multiple speed camera warnings as they didn't mean anything to her. The car's number plate she was using was a fake anyway, they couldn't track her and Saeran made sure of that.

Black SUV's were parked in an area close to where her own vehicle was residing, alerting her that the body guards Jumin had hired were indeed already at the location.

For how long they had been there and awaiting her arrival, she did not know.

"Sae? Do you have a visual?" He murmured a yes, the sound of a mouse clicking reassuring her.

"Jumin's guards are positioned just a few meters to your left. They're waiting for you, they don't know who you are but will follow your lead." Thankful that they weren't going to question her authority or who she was, she pulled on her helmet and walked over.

They were all big and tall men, towering over her but none matching the intimidating and rather dauntibg aura she exuded, the four extra men immediately in submission to the unnamed figure. All the orders they had been given was to get the two trapped men out and to listen to the requests of the person in the visor that went by the name of 'MC.'

"Are you 'MC'?" Nodding her head, she gave them a thumbs up as they recieved confirmation from Jumin about her identity.

Loading their guns and taking off the safety, they all jogged towards the cathedral and opened the door that had previously been locked with nothing more than brute force and a sharp kick to the wood.

She noticed the camera perched, probably where Saeran and the others were watching them enter from before the camera on their vests would be used. 

Deciding to ease the attention a little, she blew a soft kiss to the camera and grinned behind the dark tinted view of her visor, relishing in almost inaudible gasp from him.

"Stoo being silly." He scolded, making her laugh a little at his tut.

"Sorry." Whispering the apology, she returned back to her seriously exterior and crouched, keeping a low profile as they scoped the entire top floor of the building.

Nothing was found, and she wasn't surprised either. No idiot would keep two hostages in a space where they could easily be discovered and rescued.

This was the goverment they were dealing with, only the lord knew the extent of their dirty work. If anything, she should have been scared but instead only felt a mild irritation at such a powerful enemy.

"Two of you, keep with me. The rest of you, please make your way to the top floor and look for the two captives." The guards knew exactly what Saeyoung looked like and had a verbal description of what Vanderwood looked like. Hopefully it would be enough for then to identify them should they appear. 

Following her requests quickly, they moved out and she kept her gun up and hoisted, feeling slightly more secure with it held in her tight grip.

The building itself looked derelict, the smell of old and rotting wood pungent in the stale air. The floorboards, once covered in brilliant white tiles, were now a murky and dirty grey from age and dirt. 

It was rather disgusting but also awe inspiring how much human interaction determined the life spans of things and places, sometimes even people as she had come to realise.

Splintering under her weight, the floorboards gave way to the corpses of small insects and dead rats. 

And with the splintering came the loud bang of a gun shot, a hole in the door where the bullet had just come from. Thankfully, the bullet hasn't hit her and had missed instead, just a few inches right of her right thigh. 

One of the guards that was with her charged in immediately, bullets spraying before the door between them was kicked down. Within thirty seconds, the man who had shot at her was knocked out cold, the gun confiscated and slipped into the belt on her waist.

They patrolled the current floor and found nothing, bitter disappointment creeping up as not even a glimpse of them appeared. Saeran was so sure they would be in here and she didn't want to tell him that he had been wrong.

"Okay. Let's look around for the basement. I remember hearing about one." The guards from the top came down, shaking their heads before the question could have been uttered and slowly chipping away at her confidence.

She led, her heart in a gentle thrum with her echoing breaths. The door had been located earlier by the man who had snagged the extra gun and disarmed the gunman, the door leading downstairs into a rather derelict area.

If there was one thing she felt, it would have had to have been sheer terror. Not because it was dark or she was afraid of any insects. But because she had no idea how they would react to her being back, or just her in general. She was labelled a traitor for a reason.

She was also deathly afraid of not finding them there, or worse; finding their dead bodies rotring on the floor. 

That would completely destroy her.

Stalking quietly, the sound of guns clicking beside her made her feel slightly safer, like she wasn't in ever present danger just by being here and so close to where she could be found it by the government and executed.

"Have you found them yet?" Shaking her head, she replied with a negative and immediately felt bad when he sighed, teeth grinding together as he watched nervously through her body camera.

Suddenly, she heard a gun reload in the dark. It wasn't by any of her own little group because all their guns were full, and the only one that had shot and might have needed to reload had done so already.

She send a warning shot in the direction of the reloading sounds, the bullet ricocheting invisibly off the wall. 

Almost like magic, a bullet had sent straight towards her heart with a loud bang, he bulletproof vest removing the risk of dying by a great amount. It was a good thing she had taken Jaehee's advice and worn it.

Instantly, whoever had attacked her had been apprehended, pushed to the foor with their faces pressed against the cold and dirty cement of the hardly visited basement.

Even so, she was able to sense more than one malicious presence, her eyes narrowing as she whispered to the closest person beside her. 

"To your left, 90°, there's another gunman. He doesn't know I know." The guard nodded, the bullet that was shot grazing the shoulder of the would-be offender and sending then howling from the unexpected pain. 

She knew she wouldn't stand much of a chance in hand to hand combat, considering the natural disadvantage she was at even if she was much more nimble and agile then the men she fought against. 

There only seemed to be two additional gun men down nhere, both of which had been captured and forced into submission. All that was left to do was to search the area for them, or atleast any signs that they had been there.

"Luciel? Vanderwood?" Not wishing to compromise their identities (which was rather redundant considering how Saeyoung's life story was set to be broadcast at the same time as which she was doing this.)

A soft groan not belonging to any of them reached her ears, her heart beat speeding up rapidly as she squinted in the dark to try and make out any figures. 

"Luciel?" No response.

"Vanderwood?" That same almost inaudible moan of pain. 

Taking the flashlight that one of the guards was offering her, her fingers tightened around the light giving device and flicked it on, walking around to try and spot where they were. She was almost 100% certain that at least Vanderwood was here. 

'Come on, come on!' Internally hissing, the almost screamed (from terror or relief she did not know) when the beam of light hit two hunched over and tied up figures, their features almost unrecognisable amist the durt and the sweat caking their skin.

"Oh shit." Runnung over, the men followed her lead and stayed behind her as she checked the pulse of the unconscious agents. 

Thankfully both of their pulses were there, albeit faint and weak. 

"They're both alive. We've found them, Sae. Call an ambulance." She heard the sound of shuffling and his muffled voice talking to what appeared to be Jumin, requesting an ambulance to be called. 

Hooking her arms under Saeyoung and hoisting him upright, she allowed his head to loll against hers as she pulled him into a slightly standing position. For such a tall person, he wasn't all that heavy. And for that reason, she transferred him instead onto her back.

"Hey, there's reporters outside now because of the broadcast. You might want to cover their faces." Nodding, she repeated the information and they slipped the additional masks they had onto the mouths of the pair and she placed the sunglasses she had over Vanderwood's eyes and a hat over Saeyoung's distinct red hair.

They may have been risking their lives to get them out, but the last thing she wanted was for them to get mobbed and to lose a job because now everyone knew who they were and what they looked like. 

"Boss, is the ambulance here?" The guard carrying Vanderwood asked into his comlink, receiving an affirmative response which promoted them to begin to leave the building, grateful for the helmets on their heads and the strict regulations on privacy. 

Opening up the doors and getting up the stairs with the dead weight on her back was rather tough, but what made it even tougher was the swarms of reporters and camera men around the entrance who ignored the caution tape and were inches away from her and the team.

Microphones and cameras were shoved straight into her face, irritating her beyond belief as she shielded Saeyoung as best as she could. 

"Damn, these guys won't stop pestering us." She complained to Saeran, trying to peer over the crowd and to see if the ambulance was anywhere near. 

It was, just a few feet behind the crowd with paramedics shoving through the crowd to try and get to Saeyoung, the guards, Vanderwood and the two unconscious gunmen. 

The crowd was pushed away and Saeyoung and Vanderwood were lifted onto stretchers, wheeling them in. The other two gunners were collected by the police and taken to the hospital. 

"Ma'am, would you like to come with them into the ambulance?" Nodding, she gave the car keys to the leader and mouthed for him to return to Jumin's penthouse with the others. 

Finally after climbing into the back of the ambulance and sitting on a chair as she pulled her helmet off, she sighed into the microphone and watched Saeyoung and Vanderwood get treated as best as they could.

"Saeran?"

"Yes?"

"They're okay now. They lost some blood and they have some bruises here and there, but they're okay. I don't know the full extent at the moment, but it's not too bad." 

There was a pause, his own sigh lingering in the air.

"That's good. Please ask if they'll require surgery, if not, will visitors be allowed in?" Knowing just how much it had taken to get Saeran to ask about his brother's well being, she agreed hstily and spoke.

"Excuse me, will either of them require surgery?" One of the younger looking paramedics, the one who had asked her if she would like to come in, shook her head. 

"The most either have is a couple of broken ribs and nausea. They won't need surgery but will need a lot of rest." Judging by the soft human from Saeran, she assumed he had heard.

"Will I be able to visit them?" 

"After they've been treated, yes." The reassuring smile given by the paramedic made her feel a million times better, her gaze returning to both of the males should were laid down, an oxygen mask over their mouths.

The drive didn't seem to be too long, and Saeran had disconnected in preparation to head over to the hospital himself, leaving her to fiddle with her fingers by herself. 

A grunt caught her attention, eyes darting to Saeyoung whom lay unmoving before looking at Vanderwood who's eyes were wide open, hands reaching for the oxygen mask to slip it off his face.

"Oi, leave that on." At the sound of her voice, he froze.

His fingers remained curled around the mask, his grip tightening until his knuckles were white. Vanderwood blinked, lashes grazing against his cheek before he ripped the mask away from his mouth, his heated gaze boring into her soul.

"Is that you? You have to be fucking kidding me." The hiss was ill tempered and she couldn't help but feel slightly hurt even though it was justified. 

"…It's me, Starkie." She had no doubt that he wouldn't have attempted to shoot her had he been able to.

"Don't call me that, you have no right after betraying the agency. You dropped off the damn map and hid like a coward." With a graze of her tongue over her teeth, she remained quiet.

"You betrayed us both. And I hope you remember that for the rest of your fucking lie. Just because you saved us now doesn't mean shit." Her fingers clenched in her lap, a tight fist as she refused to meet his swirling brown eyes.

"I will, don't worry. But it isn't as though that beloved fucking agency of yours went to help either of you. The government was involved and they don't want to risk their arses to go over and help you." He fell silent at her retaliation, knowing it to be true but not wanting to admit it.

The silence was deafening and she figured that this was the only chance she would ever get.

"Did you ever wonder why I left? Why I moved away from Seoul?" The brunettes expression did not change, his gaze towards the ceiling as the mask was returned to it's original position on his face. 

She breathed in.

"It was because I found out my mother was still alive. She hadn't been killed. Naturally, when I found this out, I wanted to go and see her. To ask some questions and maybe have some parental guidance that I never had." He did nothing but listen, not even twitch.

"I tried to tell the agency, but they refused. They wouldn't let me and told me that if I ever tried to contact her, they would kill both her and me. I went anyway, and in their eyes, that was betrayal." Even if he didn't voice anything, he could tell he was confused on why she didn't tell either of them anything. 

"I didn't tell anyone of you because they would try to use you to get to me. They would have murdered you for me disobeying them if they knew you had even the faintest idea of my whereabouts. All I wanted was to see my mother." 

"And by the time I had found her address and prepared to meet her, I found out she was dead. She died from untreated breast cancer a week before I had arrived." It was tragic really, how she had risked life and limb to find the one person who would now never know the trouble she had gone through to find them. 

And even though he was angry, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of sympathy for her. She did have to deal with the grief and regret of not being able to be with her mother in her final moments, she had to deal with the funeral, the feeling of worthlessness and self hatred. She had to deal with so much for something that in the end, was unobtainable.

He could only sigh. 

The wailing of the sirens rang in his ears, his head pounding from both his headache and from the information he had to take in. And slowly, ever so slowly, his eyes began to close, only just retaining the almost forbidden image of her lips curling up into a ghost of a smile.

 

A week had gone past and the unrelating nature of the reporters seemed to have died down a little. Since she also had a helmet on at the time, they were unable to recognise her and thus, left her alone. 

Saeyoung had woken up several times, but it had always been when it was the nighttime and visiting hours were over. She knew she would have to see him at some point and she just wanted to get it over with.

Saeran sat across his brother, the elder siblings hand in his own as he carressed the skin with his thumb and a soft and subtle grip. Even if he hadn't spoken to his twin in years, there was love between them that was undeniable.

V had risen from the dead too, deciding to appear when she called him over 17 times to tell him the news. He had come over pretty quickly and never failed to come every day to check up on Saeyoung.

Even Vanderwood had noticed this, commenting on it once or twice with an impassive stare and stating how Saeyoung brought trouble with him with every step. Which wasn't necessarily wrong but he shouldn't have said it.

 

"Starkie." She began, sitting on a chair beside his bed and playing with the ends of the washed out hospital duvet. 

"…What?" 

"Do you think he will ever forgive me?" He could only shrug, his head gazing upwards as he did so.

"If you tell him why, he might. He might be an idiot, but he's good natured. He won't hate you is all I can say for definite. After you had left, he was hurt and he tried his hardest not to how it. You were his, I guess, sister and you just up and left without a word." In hindsight, none of her actions were very good and she almost did wish that she at least told them that she was leaving.

After receiving the devastating news, she had stayed over in the house where her mum lived for two years before returning to Seoul and getting herself all tangled up again with Mint Eye and Saeran..

Things always did have a way of coming back to her.

Just as she opened her mouth to say something more, she was stopped by the sound of a sharp gasp. Even Vanderwood had looked over her shoulder to see what the cause of such a loud sound was.

Saeyoung was awake.

Even from far away she could see how tight how his hold had become on Saeran's hand, his eyes narrowed in a squint to try and see who was holding his hand. 

Saeran, using his free hand, grabbed the glasses from the desk and slid them onto his brother's face, everyone's breaths held for the reaction that was sure to come.

"What happ-" He barely had time for register anything, his bleary and sleep messy eyes barely focusing on anything. Well, that was until he spotted just who was sat beside him.

His brother. His whole world.

Saeran.

And he was crying. Crying and crying and crying, his tears flowing nonstop as his trembling hands held onto his brother with all the strength he could muster.

"S-Saeran? I-is that really you?" At his question, Saeran nodded with a smile fit for an angel, only causing Saeyoung to cry harder, smearing the lenses of his glasses with his tears.

And he couldn't stop, despite his hands wiping at his eyes, his glasses sliding upwards into his hair. He hiccuped and he sobbed, and yet, a beautiful smile curled itself on his lips. 

"It's me." It was barely a whisper but the weight of his words was something no one the room could have held. 

"It's me, brother." He reached out for a hug and received one, his heart hammering in his chest as he held the one person who he would gladly die for.

And then he was laughing, laughing with joy that they had never seen from him. He laughed so hard he struggled to breathe, his lips stretched so much she almost feared that they would never return to normal.

"It's you. It's really you. Wow! You look so much like me!" Saeyoung's almost delirious comment earned a playful eyeroll from his fellow agent.

"He's your identical twin, take a hint." Vanderwood's tone was rough, but it was clear that he was touched. 

The subtle mused exhale that fell from her lips seemed to catch his attention, his eyes widening as he tried to view her face clearly.

"M-MC? Is that really you?" 

"Yes, Saeyoung. It's really me. But call me (y/n). And I'm sorry for leaving without any notice, it was stupid and selfish and you didn't deserve to be hurt the way I hurt you. You don't have to forgive me, but I'm so glad that you're okay." Although he could not forgive her straight away without knowing why she did what she did, he couldn't stop himself from feeling indescribably light. 

"Thank you." It was a basic formality, but she was happy. 

Everyone was.

And maybe, just maybe, they would all have their happily ever after.


	55. Circus: Mint Eye~ || Hybrid Saeran x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> contains mentions of abuse and mistreatment.

"Christ, this place is a bit big for something that's only popped up two days ago," Her friend's statement was true, it _was_ rather big for a circus that was only going to be there for a maximum of two weeks.

'Oh well,' she thought, 'they probably just need the revenue.'

Mint Eye: The Circus.

It was situated on a huge field, the size of at least three football pitches with multiple tents set up with the area of atleast two houses. The sheer volume of everything was overwhelming: and rightfully so. 

This was the infamous circus that travelled the world, waiting for people to gaze at it's incredible acts and heart-stopping shows. No one really knew when it had popped up, and who had even owned it for that manner. All that was known about this mysterious moving circus was that it had been first spotted in Seoul, South Korea 6 years ago. 

And with those facts in mind, it was definitely natural that it was imposing. 

Walking in with her friend, she couldn't help but look around at the marvelous sight greeting her gaze; the striped mint green, black and white of the tents so different from the sloppy red and yellow the lesser circuses used. 

The faint smell of sugar and fried batter was ever present in the air, wafting in and out the air with every step they both took into this wonderland. 

"Damn. All this food looks so fucking good," Laughing softly at her friend's choice of vulgar vocabulary at something which contrasted greatly with the words used, she hummed in agreement. 

"It's all grease and fat, but whatever fills your stomach," They laughed heartily, patting their belly before squeezing it in a childish manner. 

"Of course. The best part about these things are the food. Don't tell me you came here just for the attractions," They raised a pointed brow, daring her to try and disagree with what they had just said.

She looked away with a pout, knowing damn well that she also came to fill her mouth and stomach with fatty foods that she would later regret consuming. 

Shoving her jokingly, they eyed the various stalls and mimicked a belly rumbling (although it did sound more like a whale's mating call), "so much delicious food." 

"Typical," she spoke with a roll of her eyes, "you never do anything apart from think about yor next meal." 

All they did was wink, grabbing her hand and tugging her along to the many stacks set up, each owner displaying their mouthwatering confectionary and goods in the hopes of winning over hungry customers such as themselves.

And in the case of her friends, it seemed to work.

"Look, those fried mozzarella sticks look so damn good." Practically dragging her along, she couldn't help but also salivate at the thought of that cheesy goodness.

"Fine." 

And that was how they both ended up with a whole basket full of fried mozzarella sticks and sauce, a side of funnel cake and icecream to top off the cholesterol and diabetes inducing feast. 

"Wow. You live the life, don't you?" The sudden rhetorical question from her friend made her blink, her lips curling into a smile as she nodded in agreement. 

"Perhaps. Having a dad who just wants me to shut up has its perks," They laughed, shovelling another stick into their mouth and moaning in an exaggerated manner to annoy her; it worked aswell.

"Stop eating like a cow," They began mooing, the laughter easing until they were both eating in silence.

Her hum was soft, her eyes grazing over everything once more, but she stopped looking for entertainment when she spotted a largely uncovered tent with what looked like a hybrid show inside of it. 

Stomach suddenly twisting, the cheese stick in her hands suddenly made her want to be sick. Bible rising quickly in her throat, she snagged the drink from their hands and took a lengthy sip, ignoring the way that they looked at her with a confused expression.

"Look. I think there might be a hybrid in there." Their irises followed her finger, squinting to see inside the tent before nodding.

"Looks like it. That's disgusting." The glint in her eyes already told them what she was going to do, having known her for so long they could already tell what the minx within her was planning to do.

Swallowing a stick whole, they scooped up the basket in their hands and took a big mouthful of the ice cream and cake. Obviously _they_ weren't going to waste it. 

She huffed, shoulders dropping as she looked into the tent as best she could from the distance she was at. Unable to specifically see what kind of hybrid it was, she knew she had to get closer.

"You know," they started, slipping the basket into their bag to eat later, "you would never be so successful if you weren't rich." 

She could have laughed. It was the bitter truth and they all knew it.

It was tough handling a hybrid, but it was even tougher trying to rescue them, especially if you didn't have the money nor the right resources to cover up what you were doing. If you were found out, you risked being killed under the guise of being a threat to society, no matter how high up you were in the social hierarchy.

Having more wealth just meant that things were more accessable, not by any means were you safer.

"I know," she spoke quietly, words barely a whisper as she stretched, gaze set on that tent as her friend only sighed and shook their head, continuing to eat the cake and offering her spoonfuls that she took gratefully.

"You'll do it," suddenly, they became rather distracted, eyes widening as they looked to their right. 

She followed who they were looking at and instantly realised why they had the reaction that they did. Their crush was there, walking by themselves with candyfloss in hand.

"Go," with a soft push to their back, she waved off their look of concern. "Eat your heart out. I'll call you later." 

It warmed her heart to see them look so lovestruck, a puppy tailing after their owner. And so, with the faintest of smiled, she sent a joking flying kiss in their direction before heading dutifully towards that certain tent. 

 

This particular tent, unlike the many others littered around, didn't seem to have many people loitering around inside if it. The main attractions seemed to be just animals, elephants and lions and various other animals being petted and stroked, coos tumbling from the mouths of whoever was touching them.

Then there was the hybrid she had only just managed to peep at. 

From a slightly closer look, he seemed to be a tiger hybrid - a fairly common breed but not as common as a dog or a domesticated house cat. Tiger hybrids did seem to be dwindelling in numbers recently, but it wasn't as though people _cared_. 

Boos and obscenities were thrown, the cage that the hybrid was in was being rattled and shaken with enough force to turn the brain into mush.

"Now now, **Ray**. Do the handstand." The woman's (or should she say owner's?) voice was soft, a nice and delicate tone that could have surely twisted anyone to do her bidding. 

Ray? Was that the hybrid's name?

Pushing through the crowd, ignoring the dirty looks directed towards her, she made her way to the front and almost failed to conceal her horrified gasp.

He had flipped himself onto his hands, and although he looked steady as he moved around, she could see his arms trembling and the laboured breathing, chest rising up and down at a dangerous pace. He looked like he was ready to faint. 

Despite his obvious over exertion, he managed to hold the handstand for a good ten seconds before lowering himself; only to be tripped up by the woman's foot, his face pressed harshly against the floor as he fell.

It was disgusting how many people laughed.

He was so _so_ skinny, he shouldn't have been all bones and skin, he should have had a healthy amount of meat and fat, flushed cheeks and hair that didn't look limp and lifeless. 

_But he didn't, and that was the worst thing of all._

Another jab to his ribs from the trainers combat boots forced him up, his body trembling as he resisted the urge to succumb to his fatigue. He did a series of successful backflips, landing perfectly each time before falling into the splits in the final one. 

That couldn't have been painless, the way he landed looked like it caused him so much pain that he wasn't allowed to express. 

People began to lose interest, the crowd dissipating at the found homage in the various other animals, or leaving the tent all together with promises of food and ice cream. Everyone left until there was only her and a curious little girl who was soon dragged away by her mother, a whisper of 'don't look at the ugly beast. He'll hurt you' leaving the woman's red painted lips.

It hurt for her to just hear, so she couldn't imagine how it felt for him.

The trainer, a beautiful blonde woman who's jade eyes swam with so many different emotions that she was unable to decipher, lifted her water bottle to take a delicate sip - not once looking at the exhausted hybrid who lay panting in a heap. 

'Fuck this,' direct action was needed, and she knew just how to go about it. 

Schooling a welcoming smile on her face, she approached the edge of the cage and tried her hardest to ignore the pang of rage that shot through her heart at his condition.

"Excuse me, miss?" The woman's head lifted up, looking around for the source of the voice before spotting her. 

The lady keened, voice sultry and heavily intoxicating, "do you need something darling?"

"Yes, I was wondering about your hybrid. I've never seen a tiger breed up close. Do you think I could take a look at him?" she dove a hand into her back pocket, fishing out bills that she carried in case of situations like these, "I won't do anything, promise. And of course I'll pay you." 

A pink tongue darted out to wet the lady's lips, her eyes flashing at all the money held in the females hand. 

"Okay honey, but he's a stubborn one. Just stay here, alright?" Nodding happily, she handed over the money and watched with hidden contempt as she counted out the money, a gleam of greed crossing her once blank features. 

With a fist clenched, she sat down infront of the cage at the furthest distance she could away from the trainer, watching as he was shoved harshly towards her. 

His ears lay flat against his head, tail curled around his body as he walked feebly towards her, his blue eyes dull and hollow, as though he was a corpse forced into animation.

"Hello sweetie." Intentionally keeping her voice soft and quiet, she waited patiently for him to sit down infront of her, his gaze set on the floor and refusing to meet hers.

He didn't speak so she tried again, "It's nice to meet you."

This time he did respond, his voice quiet and barely audible as the words flowed into the air only to promptly disappear.

"Nice to meet you too, m-miss." It was a shame he was so meek, a product of the abuse he no doubt faced behind closed doors and more than likely infront of them too; for his voice was soothing and calming to listen to, like the wind on a hot summer's day. 

Something tugged in her heart, telling her to comfort him and make sure he was doing well, and she was going to do just that.

"We're just out of hearing distance, so I want you to know that you're okay and that she won't hear anything you and I discuss." His brows furrowed, eyes flickering up for a split second to meet her own warm yet stern hues.

He was confused and she didn't blame him.

"I just want to ask you a few questions. I won't do anything to hurt you and I won't tell anyone your answers. I want you to trust me."

It was hard and she knew it, to trust a stranger after having it engraved into your mind that you weren't allowed to trust, to feel, to be free. But she couldn't help him if she didn't have even a spark of acknowledgment towards her words. 

Reaching her hand out, her fingers were uncurled, waiting for his hand to place itself in hers. She wasn't really expecting for him to follow through with it, his fingers twitching as he looked at her palm and to his own.

Just as she was about to retract her hand, a blanket of shame and embarrassment beginning to roll over her, his hand moved softly; tentively, before placing it in hers. 

His eyes were oh _so_ blue, so innocent and yet they held the stories of abuse and mistreatment. 

"Thank you." The whisper would have otherwise been inaudible, but his ears had picked them up, twitching at the sound of her gratitude.

Her words were mellow and comforting, falling off her tongue like honey as she spoke to him, "I'm going to ask a few questions, okay? Nothing that will make you too uncomfortable. Just blink once for no, twice for yes." 

He nodded his head, wanting to allow himself to trust this stranger that made him feel at ease, comforted. 

"Are you getting hurt here?" He hesitated before blinking twice.

"Do you feel safe here?" One blink. 

"Have you eaten today?" One blink again.

"Eaten in the last two days?" A single blink that made her blood boil with anger.

"Is your name Ray?" This one blink confused her, were they deliberately using a fake name to keep him under the radar?

"Do you want to leave?" Two blinks without any hesitation, not that she blamed him.

The question she added on would have required a verbal response, so she wasn't sure how to phrase it, "do you know what time they take you backstage?" 

Instead of using his fingers like she had anticipated, his lips curled slightly as he spoke, head still tilted downwards in an act of submission.

"9pm."

"Is it okay for me to come then and take you? Do you trust me?" He gulped wearily, hands shaking as they held her own tighter, rougher and with desperation. 

He spoke, "yes", and that was all the confirmation she needed to set her plan into action.

 

The plan entailed many different things that she had to set up, consequently leading to her leaving the carnival straight away with a confused yet proud friend left behind.

Illegal things were going to happen, but that was only the icing on the cake. What she was planning was stupid enough to work.

Stupid things meaning that she was now wearing a borrowed pizza delivery girl costume, a big jacket and backpack on her back with two pizza boxes in her hands; one with an actual pizza in case someone decided to be nosy, and the other with a bolt cutter. 

The time had just hit 15 past nine, the only reason for her delay being the traffic that has decided to materialise just to make her day worse.

Rolling her shoulders to adjust the backpack, she lowered the cap on her head and slid the pizza boxes under the fences, before jumping over and wiping away the anti climbing paint. It didn't matter if her clothes became stained, she could just throw them away.

"Okay, the back tents." They weren't too hard to spot, atleast five or so minutes of walking time away. 

Every step crunched loudly, echoing in the night air and making her cringe. Her nerves were electric but the thought of helping someone who deserved help made her swallow those fears. The pizza box was surely getting crushed under her tough grip but she couldn't bring herself to care.

_Ray._

That name had been echoing in her mind for a while. He was truly anonymous, not even the name that had been assigned to him had been logged onto the database she paid to access.

And while she was on the topic of names, she realised that she hadn't given her own; making her almost smile at her own hypocrisy.

The tents were coming closer and she had to pick which one to enter as there was three just where she was, a few more in the distance and she could only pray that he was close.

'Shit. Okay.' Gulping, she headed inside the closest one and looked around, making sure to pull her hood up and keep to the shadows. Being caught now would only fuck over the few chances she had. 

Darkness enveloped the area, the fine hairs of her cheek and neck standing on edge at the whistle of the wind and cool breeze wafting through the flap of the tents.

Nothing. There was nothing in this tent, not a cage nor a soul aside from her.

"Ray?" The soft whisper melted away, leaving no trace that she had ever spoken.

Silence greeted her and she moved on, looking into the adjacent tent to see a large cage, the lack of light making it hard to see and analyse what was in there.

She gulped. This was going to be a risk. "Hello?" 

There was a shuffle, an almost inaudible sound that she would have missed had she not been listening intently. A moan of what seemed to be pain echoed before disappearing.

"Ray?" 

Feet moving lightly, the soles of her shoes making sure that no shuffling or scuffling could have been mad, she paused infront of the large cage in the middle of the room and crouched down.

A figure lay in the dead centre, barely looking alive as their chest rose and fell in uneven pants. Watching them for a few seconds, she tried to make out their features.

She tried again. "Ray?"

Their head lifted, a tail that had previously remained hidden swishing weakly as he forced himself to sit up. He blinked, head tilting as a yawn wracked his body.

Recognition seemed to colour his brilliant blue eyes, shock causing his mouth to drop and ogle at the female before him. He was so sure that she would not come, that she had given him false hope that he would naively cling to, only to be crushed.

"You came." Almost as though he was in a dream, his hands reached through the bars as though he was in a trance, reaching for her face before jerking his hands away in an almost violent manner, like he had been shocked into reality.

Dropping the box onto the floor, shoving the one with pizza aside and reaching for the bolt cutter, she reached up and cut the lock off, making sure to soften the landing of the lock using the pizza box.

With a kick to the box, one detrimental fact made her reel.

He was _naked_.

Hissing under her breathe, she cursed all the gods and all the people she despised that came to mind. How could they leave him to freeze? It wasn't obscenely cold, but it wasn't exactly the warmest of winters either.

"Here. Wear this, okay?" With a tug of her hoodie, she pulled it away from her body and handed it to him, her bag opening seconds later to reveal a spare pair of tracksuits. 

Hands shaking, he trembled as he took the clothes from her, her scent enveloping the hoodie that he wore quickly - relishing in the heat it radiated and the sense of **home** that gave him.

Backpack now on her back again, she outstretched her hands and waited for him, homeliness swirling in her eyes. 

The moment resembled a mother's encouragement for her child to fly, to spread their wings and leave. 

Although time was scarce, she put no pressure into making him take her hand, making him choose her over the life he lived so painstakingly day after day. She was giving him _freedom_ that he had always craved and seen but never had the chance of **tasting.**

He could be his own person, and he wasn't going to let his only chance slip between his fingers like grains of sand.

And so, his hand slipped so perfectly into hers, a soft and reassuring squeeze that promised him a flouring life that he could pave himself. 

"Let's go," the sound of feet hitting the grass was wet and sticky, "we'll risk getting caught if we stay any longer." 

Not a word was spoken further, her hand tight around his as she led him over the fence and under the branches of the trees that now resembled ghostly figures, past the shrubbery and through a small walkway before finally reaching her car. 

Only when he was safely seated within her car, the weight of the seatbelt against his chest; did he speak. 

"Thank you," he rasped, voice teetering on the edge of cracking and edging on his tears, "I-I, thank you." He managed to croak, her eyes not straying from the road but instead her lips formed a small smile.

"You're welcome." Gratitude wasn't something she required, but hearing it fall from his trembling maws, tearing shining in his eyes from the sheer relief he felt, she couldn't help but feel swayed by her emotions aswell.

Swallowing hard, his ears perked up a little as he watched the headlights illuminated the road ahead of then, the beauty of the night never really striking him until now.

"Saeran. My name is Saeran." 

If she was surprised, she didn't show it, face remaining neutral as she drove.

"In that case, _**Saeran**_ , I'm (y/n) and I'm going to make sure you live happily." So much promise echoed in her words, lacing him with hope and anticipation for what was to come.

****

****

He could be himself.

Instead of Ray the tamed tiger, he was Saeran, the hybrid that lived. The hybird that was liberated thanks to one girl who cared.

The one girl he owed his life to.

"(y/n), thank you."


	56. Seoul~ || Vanderwood x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains mentions of character death, slight spoilers

Her eyes flickered over the various usual stimuli in front of her, her hues taking in everything at once - from the milling party guests to the soft and excited swishing of Saeyoung's tail, his ears twitching in joy as he spoke to someone that she vaguely remembered was a drink company representative. The taste of mango was strong, the flavour spreading across her tastebuds as she gulped.

In all honestly, she could have been downing a shot of vodka and she wouldn't have been none the wiser, the throbbing in her head only threatening to get worse the further the night progressed. 

Normally, she would when left as soon as the headache started, but she was the party planner and was obligated to stay the entire duration to talk and mingle with guests. 

The exact opposite of what she wished she could have been doing. 

Saeran was a little more timid than his outgoing brother, lingering near the table of food and confectionary more times than anyone else, occasionally reaching out to swipe the hard boiled sweets that decorated the table top. 

She couldn't blame him, she had too been pressed against the table with her mango juice and marshmallows until her headache had forced her to take refuge. 

The mix of hybirds and humans was vast, something that would have been legal a mere fifty years ago. Amazing really, how fast humanity and it's views changed with time.

Zen, the beautiful polar bear hybrid with his stunning and ensnaring ruby hues, was conversing with a woman, his tail wagging ever so gently, so clearly enjoying whatever he was talking about.

The other members (aside from Yoosung who had rushed off to the bathroom) were present in the room, even they were too far away to be spotted by her low quality human eyes. 

Sweet tasting mango coloured her insides orange, the sugar in the drink almost grossly overpowering as she drank mote than half of the glass in one go. 

Oh how she _wished_ she could have gotten her hands on some hard vodka or whiskey. 

The one person she desperately wished to see had yet to arrive. Either he wasn't planning on showing up at all, or he decided to be useless late.

And with him being the way he was, she couldn't tell if it was the latter _or_ the former.

Fingers curling tighter around the wine glass she held, her eyes scanned the crowd once more, hoping to see that familiar head of hair that had captured all her affection with a single shake of his shivering body. Like before, it aas a futile attempt at entertaining herself, the wild game of 'spot the panther' proving to be useless when the panther had decided to sleep in. 

She genuinely had no idea why she craved his presence. Perhaps it was the way they had met, blood on both their hands and unspoke whispers of loss and doom.

Or maybe it was the way he held himself up despite everything he had just seen, the sights that would have made the toughest of people weep were brushed aside, his callous manner contrasting greatly with the gentle touch of his hands, fingers barely ghosting over the flesh of the wounded.

The way his eyes had hardened and blood was wiped on his trousers interested her, her attention captured and held until their parting moment.

She hadn't seen him since, and her only chance of reconnecting was Saeyoung; the hyrbid who was currently battling with his friend Tom over who could consume the most chicken wings in under a minute.

…Not the biggest of hopes for his arrival.

Absorbed in her too sober thoughts, she almost didn't notice the shadow that had decided to tower over her, blocking out the light of the artificial bulbs on the ceiling.

"(y/n)?" That voice.

A smile curled on her lips, the headache that once engulfed her lightening significantly, "it's MC for you, starkie." 

Allowing herself to glance up, she could have beamed. He was like the sun itself, his own plus lips turned upwards into a smirk - one that bore no malice, only mischief. 

"Glad to know we're past formalities." That particular statement was punctuated with a roll of his eyes, pulling up the seat beside her and slipping the glass of mango juice out from her hold. "I thought we passed that milestone when you had a bleeding woman in your arms."

"I guess so." Was her bleak reply.

He took a quick swig, adams apple bobbing as he swallowed harshly with the entire glass disappearing in seconds. Red tongue peeking from between his plump lips, he took joined her in her scanning of the crowd, brown hues swimming in mirth as he watched the humans and hybrid interact.

Thick and long, black tail curling around his waist, he noticed her subtle glances towards him.

Something hung in the air, though it wasn't tension. More so and unspoken concern that seemed to weight heavier with each soft bite of her bottom lip until he couldn't stand it anymore, ears twitching and flattening against his head. "What's bothering you?" The gruff tone was still there, but it was significantly softer than what she had heard before. 

"Are you safe?" So that's what had been bothering her - the question of whether or not he was okay.

It was so caring and so _absurd_ that he could have laughed. Her, a normal civilian that had seen so much more than she ever should have, was concerned for **him**? If that wasn't the funniest thing ever than he had no sense of humour.

Unable to help himself from cracking a smile, he merely tilted his head backwards, tail lifting to sway at his side gently. "As safe as I can be."

Despite the cryptic meaning behind his words, she was pleased. If he was here than that meant he was in the clear long enough to be able to go out, the search had lessened a little. 

Obviously she couldn't expect him to be entirely at ease, he did betray the agency to go off with Saeyoung despite knowing that they would later be hunted and an attempt on their life would be made. However, knowing he was even a little bit okay was still comforting. 

"What about you?" Eyeing her gently, he olaced the wine glass on the table and leaned forward, head reading on his palm as his smouldeirng irises looked right through her. "Are _you_ safe?"

"Physically, yes. Mentally, not so much." The sad statement was followed with a smile, the action not reaching her eyes. 

"Better than me at least. You have at least some sense of self preservation." He stood up, hand extended in wait for her to take it. A few seconds passed and he worried that she was going to refuse and leave him, but she didn't. 

Warm fingers curling around his own, he gently pulled her up and motionless toward the balcony where it was free of any inhabitants. 

The night breeze was cool, this particular party set in the later hours of the day instead of the morning where the sweltering heat would have caused an uncomfortable atmosphere. It was more so a practical choice than aesthetic, but she was rather glad that Jihyun had suggested this setting. The man always did have an impeccable sense of practicality.

Drafts flowed through the main room temporarily before the glass doors were shut, closing them out from the rest of the party; the world.

Lights of the buildings twinkled, decorating the skyline with dots of gold and white like the stars above that began to leer from behind the clouds that obscured them. The smell of smoke and nicotine soon filled the air, her head turning and tilting as she looked towards the panther hybrid, is cigarette between his fingers as he watched the smoke disappear into nothing.

"Want one?" He offered, to which she shook her head. 

"If I want to die, it would be on my own terms. Not because of that cancer stick." He laughed, the sound as bright as the moonlight that shone throughout the city, unaffected by the glum, grey nature of the clouds.

He took another drag, returning to looking over the city of Seoul once more. 

"It's tough, isn't it?" Though it was never explicitly said, she knew exactly who what he was talking about. The woman who had started and ended everything. 

The woman known as _**Rika**_.

"Maybe, but the others have it much worse. I took it mildly, I ccouldn't bring myself to stay for the entirety." A soft warmth nuzzled into her side, the extra furry limb wrapping around her waist to offer comfort that he daren't speak outloud. 

"That makes the two of us." And they looked down.

Down at the city to which they both meant nothing to. The city that made them insignificant.

_The city that made them who they truly are._


	57. Classmate who?~ || Yoosung X Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Near death, attempted murder. A messy ass storyline. Sorry for not updating!

Yoosung was tired.

His eyes ached, his hands had callouses and his brain was _this_ close from turning into mush. Obviously the main reason was school, but the other reason just had to be this **one** girl who just wouldn't get the hell out of his thoughts.

It wasn't as though he had a crush on her, oh no. She was just so incredibly **weird** that it was hard not to notice her and think about her. 

She was just always there, watching everything with something akin to interest but also not the same time? It was confusing honestly and he wondered why he even bothered. 

Even so, he couldn't focus on her for too long or his professor would speed ahead and leave him behind with only two pages of notes. Though he did sneak glances here and there from out of the corner of his eyes, but you didn't hear that from him.

It was easier to finish writing a page and pretend to stretch and stare at her for a hot few seconds then straining his eyes trying to see her face (which was still blank, did she ever have any expression?) for any difference.

Perhaps today would be the day that he gathered the courage to speak to her. As Zen would usually say "you can't get 'em till you talk to 'em." 

Those words probably would have worked if he was a little more confident in himself. 

Right now, he could only will away the dragging seconds of the lecture and instead hope for the sound of the bell. 

 

He almost lost her in the huge crowd of people running towards the exit, the rush knocking him back on his feet as his backpack swung precariously on his shoulder, only just hanging on with the momentum of the swings.

The few seconds he had lost were almost enough for her to slip away unnoticed like every other day. But he was determined today, the fire glinting in his violet hues as he held his ground, walking up to her with confidence that faltered with every step closer.

Until finally, he was about five or more steps away from her and all that gusto had completely disappeared into ashes. 

Regretting his choices and his past self's needless overhype, he was just about to back away when someone had been shoved into him, sending him flying in a manner that was less than graceful and landing him at the feet of the girl he was now trying to avoid. 

'Damn it,' he cursed internally, wishing on everything deity he could think of to smite him off the earth.

"Uh, are you okay?" Blinking, he looked up, meeting the smouldering hues that he had never really seen up close. 

Yoosung nodded, pink tinging across his cheeks as he stood up hastily and bowed, aiming to cover his burning face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to annoy you." 

At his words, a single brow lifted in confusion. Sorry? For annoying her? Was he okay? Maybe he had hit his head on the trip down. 

"Huh? You're the one that fell. Jaehyun needs to watch where he's going, the minx." Wow… He wasn't expecting her to be so… Docile? for someone that always seemed so intimidated from the looks he stole, she was nothing like the towering mistress he envisioned her as.

Really went to show the truth behind the saying 'don't judge a book by it's cover'.

"You gonna keep bowing?" Almost like a string puppet with a master commanding him, he shot up straight and smiled a sheepish grin, hand rubbing the back of his neck. 

According to social norms he should have disappeared as soon as she asked that, but for some reason he kept standing there awkwardly, letting her eyes roam over him in a bored manner. 

After what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was only ten seconds at the most, her eyes snapped back up to meet with his. "You're pretty cute. You look a little young, how old are you?" 

The abruptness of the question left him reeling, doe eyes blinking slowly as he guessed, registering what to say. "I'm 20." 

Her lips that were previously in a straight line pulled into a smirk like grin, almost mocking in it's curl upwards. "Cute. I'm 22." There was the killer, youngest _again._

"So, do you need anything? Have a class next?" Unable to form words, he shook his head. He had just finished his last class for the day, he was ready to head home until he was caught up and he wasn't really in need of anything either. 

Why he was still there was a mystery to them both. 

"I'll leave now. See you later." Running off hastily, he missed the soft laugh she gave, her own backpack shrugged onto her shoulders as she watched him go. He was a rather odd one and she would be sure to find him in the future, even if it was just for a brief chat 

 

Apparently the future came quickly because the next day had come at the speed of light. He was back in his seat and ready to die, as were many others who were trudging through their lessons.

She walked in at exactly 8:53, the time she always strolled in at. Two minutes before the class started and three minutes after the warning bells. No rhyme or rhythm but she was always punctual. 

However, there didn't seem to be much rhyme today as instead of heading to her seat near the back of the room, she changed directions and instead sat down beside him.

Not a single word was exchanged, her lips sealed as she pulled out her single pen and notebook, the pen itself running out of ink and the book doggy eared on every other page. 

Even if he was slightly uncomfortable, the intrusion and deviation from the norm was not welcome. Despite the discomfort, he felt oddly privileged. Some others had also noticed the sudden change and were eyeing both him and her for a brief few seconds before turning around, unbothered and uncaring.

The class began and the blank state had returned, her gaze abysmal and deep enough to suck in anyone who was looking into them; even himself. 

He hadn't noticed that he had been staring until he realised that the face he bad been gazing intently at had turned around to look at him, eyebrows raised. "Is there a problem?" 

Shaking his head, he blushed for the tenth time after meeting her, trying to think of a justification. "No, sorry. I was just thinking." 

"Must be pretty interesting. Most people don't stare at me for ten minutes unless they want something." Something about the way she has said it so calmly made it spine chilling, a shiver running down it after the last syllable had hit the air. 

"That's… Not nice of them." She laughed, the sound quiet yet still pleasant. 

"I agree. Not nice of them at all." Scribbling down the last few notes, her attention was fully on him, eyes running over his like the day previous, as though analysing him and storing the data away. "Just mean I have to pick who stares at me carefully."

What was with her and her riddles? 

"Yeah, I think so." 

And so the lesson ended with no further exchanges despite his best attempts to start up a conversation. She just didn't seem into it anymore and he couldn't help but feel a loss. 

 

Since he lived in the on site doesn't, there wasn't a need for him to travel very far. Occasionally he would go to the store to try and be healthy (before concluding he was way to broke to be trying to bargain) and return home with a bag of groceries and an empty wallet. 

But today he wasn't leaving the dorms to eventually cry over his money-less self, he was heading out to walk over to Seven house after **finally** managing to convince him to let him over.

It was like the boy was on the run or something, so damn secretive all the time and illusive. Yoosung sometimes wondered if he even existed until he was reminded that Seven was in fact real by one of the ugly memes that were sent his way just to antagonise him 

Anyway, ignoring that, he was on his way to Seven's house.

It was turning dark quickly as he had classes until 3 and it was the middle of winter. If he had been a little more cautious he may have spotted the hooded figure that was hurdling towards him, murder on their mind as their unsheathed knife was held tightly in their hands.

If he had been a little more cautious then he wouldn't have been pushed aside onto the pavement, his hands scraped as he watched the malicious person be tossed aside, knife scattering on the floor with a ting.

"What the fuck did I say about attacking people in daylight? Especially people who don't owe us anything?" The authoritive tone made him freeze too even though every other muscle in his body was screaming at him to run. "Are you that fucking stupid? Do you want me to kill you, because I will." 

Damn, he was fucking scared out of his mind. 

The person who was _going to kill him_ stood up, head down with a hand on their bruised cheek, mumbling something unintelligible as the other who had **just saved him** towered over them (though not necessarily in stature).

"Absolute dumbass. Walk back before I hit you with that knife I gave you the money for." They ran, grabbing the knife that would have otherwise been deep in his gut and heading in the opposite direction with a speed that was only reminiscent of prey escaping a predator.

They sighed, the sound light and oddly familiar.

"You should go. Never know what goes down in the streets of Seoul, do you, Yoosungie? Tell Luci that he's damn lucky." The abrupt use his nickname made him blink, only spotting a smirk-like grin before they slinked back into the shadows.

Not wasting a single second more, he began a harsh sprint down the street and like hell he was going to stop. His life was saved because of a powerful stranger, one that seemed to ring a bell but not hard enough to strike a face into his mind's eye.

He would think harder when he was safely within the triple layered security walls of Seven's abode. And _then_ he would question 'Luci'.

 

"Seven! Seven!" The banging on the door grabbed Luciel's attention, a little irked at the display from the younger boy. 

"Okay, I'm coming! Stop banging on the door, gosh." Undoing all of the security, he was forced to take a couple steps back after the blonde had ran in, almost tackling him to the floor with his speed. "What the- is someone chasing you?" 

Now it was his turn to be frantic, shooting up to lock the doors and activate his security system before returning his attention back to the 20 year old. "What is it? Yoosung, I can't help you if you won't tell me what's up." 

That seemed to calm the boy down a little, his hands still shaking as his breathing evened out slightly. "Do you know anyone dangerous, Seven? Please tell me the truth."

Where was that question coming from? What could Yoosung possibly want with that information?

"Uh, Yoosung, are you ok-" 

"I'm fine!" Desperation. "Who calls you Luci? Because I was almost killed and the person who saved me to tell 'Luci' that he was lucky. They knew my name, Seven!" Within that instant, Luciel knew who he was talking about. 

There was only one person who ever called him that name and it was the only person he ever owed a genuine debt to. But how did they know Yoosung? 

He did recall her being in university to try and blend in, being mafia executive and all, but what were the chances that she was in SKY university?

Actually, now that he thought about it, they were pretty damn high considering her intelligence. It wasn't a reach to think that she could be in one of his classes and just happened to save his life.

"Yoosung. Did you hear their voice?" He nodded.

"It sounded kinda off, but I think it was a girl." Solid evidence, it had to be her. There were no other females that fit the quota.

"I think you just met her. You should probably stay away from her, Yoosung. You don't want to mix with her." 

"Who!?" Why was everyone being so damn secretive and illusive!?

"(L/n) (Y/n). One of the underground mafia's biggest bosses, Yoosung. She could kill you with a snap of her fingers."

There was his answer and Yoosung was at a loss. 

"Mafia?" He repeated quietly, voice barely audible as he stared into amber hues that held nothing but concrete truth and honesty.

"Mafia. And there's no use in trying to rat her out either, the police can't get her." 

His classmate? The girl who he thought was kinda pretty and the one who sat beside him quietly? Was a mafia executive?

What the fuck was this?

"Stop joking," Yoosung croaked, earning a less than pleased grunt from Luciel.

"Am I laughing, Yoosung? You can't associate with her. She's got blood on her hands." He felt the odd urge to defend her, to tell Luciel that she wasn't as bad as he was making her out to be. But what did he know? He knew only what she presented.

Of course as soon as someone gathered his attention they would turn out to be someone so dangerous. Damn him, Kim Yoosung. 

"Okay, I-i won't."

"That's good," Luciel's signature grin was back, as though the previous topic was never discussed, never existed, "now let's play that game!"

Right. Game. 

Yoosung wasn't going to be focused at all and it was all her fault.

Damn fucking mafia executive.


	58. Ache for us~ || No pairing x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This oneshot has mentions of death, imprisonment, minor spoilers, suicide warnings and psychological abuse. AU where your heart takes physically damage for every time you're hurt. (Altered universe)

This doctor was going to be the same. 

They all were.

She knew she was fucked up and her heart was one physical testiment to that.

Each of them all started out normal, asking her standard questions before they began checking her heart rate with their cold and metallic stethoscopes. _That's_ when they gave her that look of ill disguised pity and shock, their mouth's parted in soft o's and concern and awe swirling in their eyes as they stared. 

"How?" They would often ask - not that she blamed them.

She would question how too, considering how according to all known medical records and tests, she should be dead and six feet under. 

It was just another one of those things. 

Dipping her head slightly, her name was called and she stood up, heading to the office with her dull heart, throbbing in her chest as she took the twenty or so steps into the office. 

"Good morning, I'm Doctor Kim. But you can call me Yoosung! You must be Miss (y/n), how are you today, what seems to be the problem?" The doctor she had today was a lot younger than what she was used to, usually the people in the heart and trauma ward would be older, middle ages men and women.

This one seemed to be freshly out of university, a year or so perhaps younger than herself. 

"My heart's been hurting me a little lately. I haven't been thinking about anything either to make it hurt." He nodded, typing a little on his keyboard before turning back to her, stethoscope placed in his ears and held at the ready. 

Adjusting his grip on the little thing, she mentally prepared herself for the look that was soon to follow. "Can I check your heart?" With a quick nod, metal met fabric and he moved it around, brows knitting together as he couldn't quite understand what he was hearing. 

It didn't take much time at all until realisation dawned and his jaw went slack, his purple hues widening as he gawked in what seemed to be sheer amazement. "W-what? How are you- huh?" 

Again, his confusion was rightfully induced but she couldn't help but feel her heart throb again, dull pain shooting through the damaged organ and spreading to her limbs. 

In a world where emotional trauma physically damaged the heart, she should have been dead.

And yet here she was, still standing and _still breathing_ , albeit with a little difficulty.

The medical instrument dropped from his hands, his fingers moving speedily across his keyboard before he turned back to her with interest that many others never showed. 

It was clear that everyone wanted to know why her heart was so damaged, they wanted to now what had disabled her so badly that she was only a hair's width away from death.

She had never revealed the story and perhaps that's what had worsened her condition.

"What happened? If you're comfortable with telling me that is, I do double as a therapist, Miss (y/n)." Perhaps it was his own curiosity that had led him to tell her that, but it was working. 

She wanted to tell someone what had hurt her.

Fiddling with her fingers, a soft smile was offered to the younger male, eyes not showing the same glint. "I do warn you, it's not the best story to tell." 

His glasses were pushed up, the red frame flashing under the light. "I think I can handle it." 

Reassurance she needed and _craved_.

All she really needed at this point was someone who was willing to listen, to not do anything but lend an ear and hear what had happened with an open mind and no opinions. To remain completely neutral.

And so she began, eyes closing as years of memories and aching were spilt.

 

The air was clean, different from the usual smog of South Korea where some days it was dangerous to even go outside. The air was also a little damp, the heavy rainfall from earlier the cause. 

Nonetheless, her spirits were high and her hopes even higher. 

_She was going to visit her mother._

Normally she wouldn't have even left the house, but her mother had specially requested her presence, claiming that she wanted something very special with her. And for that occasion, she had brought some of her favourite food and drinks.

The walk to her mother's house wasn't very long, ten minutes if she was walking at a decent pace. And at a decent pace she was walking, a smile on her face and her footsteps and aura jolly. 

_What a tragedy._

Bird's chirped (almost mockingly now that she thought about it) and the plants were luscious, bursting with green and life. 

_Ironic, really._

Each footstep to her mother's house was engrained into her mind, each echo and each hum of wind that sent her hair into different directions. 

Each breath that she took felt like the beginning of something new, _it really was_.

Until she heard the sounds of sirens, people shouting and screaming.

_How **sad.**_

It's human nature to be curious. But curiosity killed the cat. 

Regardless, she began running, running to her mother's home, hoping that the sounds that filled the air didn't belong to that road, didn't belong to her mother.

An illusion to be broken, in hindsight.

Her feet ached and the hair that hit her cheeks felt like whips, her lungs tight as she powered through the roads, hoping desperately to see the quiet road as it always was, quiet.

_It wasn't._

She stopped, heart hammering at such a speed that she thought she was going to collapse. Unfortunately, she was just in time to see a white sheet covering a body.

_A body that all too closely resembled her mother._

The first crack to her heart occurred here.

What happened next she couldn't really recall in clear detail. All that came into her head was how loud she screamed, her throat raw and aching for days afterwards. Her tears and how they blinded her as she stumbled towards the mass of bodies, lunging desperately for her mother, the one person whom she _loved_. Her desperation to see the body was animalistic as she was held back by onlookers, pity in their eyes as she begged and sobbed for her whole world. Her regrets as the police officers and paramedics told her that they were sorry, sorry for her loss and that they had no idea how she was killed. 

_Bullshit. It was all bullshit_.

However, she remembered one thing in clear detail.

One beautiful woman with flowing gold hair who introduced herself as something. She couldn't really remember. All that came to mind was **The Saviour**.

And that's when everything had gone downhill. Sugar and honey coated every word that spilled from the woman's lips, hiding the true **despicable** intent behind them.

She was promised salvation and paradise, a world where her mother was alive and happy. 

And being as distraught as she was, she believed every word whole heartedly. 

Bitter solution was shoved down her throat while her hair was stoked calmingly, her mind foggy and intoxicated, the blonde woman's face clear yet not her name 

_"That's terrible," Yoosung said, "wasn't that the cult that was caught two years ago?"_

_She shrugged. Maybe it was, she could barely remember anything over the fighting memories and blurred reminents of them._

She did manage to remember two names. 

Choi Saeran. The twin of Choi Saeyoung.

He was the one who caused the second crack in her heart. 

He was so kind. So beautiful and so _misplaced._

He never did fit in with the cruel treatment, dislike drinking the bitter elixir and hated displeasing The Saviour. No matter how many times he switched 'beings' she remembered how pure and innocent his soul was. 

She never could have thought that he could have done what he did. 

Shot someone dead. 

He shot someone called Kim Jihyun.

He shot Jihyun and shot himself, one final pull of the trigger and he left blood on the floor as well as damage to her heart as she watched him bleed out, the life spilling from between her fingers. 

He never did get to meet up with his brother, tragically. She knew that he loved him deep down, even if he was conditioned to hate his own blood. 

Saeran didn't deserve to die.

The third crack was caused when the blonde woman was taken away, the entire building had been a mess. Her entire life had lost all meaning, the sweet and honey was venom in disguise.

She just never realised.

Her fellow believers had been pulled away and she was left alone, hidden until someone had found her and offered her enough money for a new start.

Han Jumin.

_"The CEO?"_

_"Yes. He was a friend of Jihyun's."_

He nurtured and cared for her, trying to fill his own void that was created by the death of his best friend and the betrayal by the blonde woman that she later found out was Jihyun's fiancée.

The fourth crack.

Jumin was a complicated man. He never understood how to express himself and that was his downfall. 

Human's are social creatures and when they're unable to share their thoughts and communicate, they often cope in unhealthy ways.

Exactly what Jumin had done.

He had treated her like a goddess, showering her in the finest golds and jewels in hopes that he would regain that sense of connection, the one he had been relying on Jihyun for. 

She was not the person for him. She realised this fact after he introduced her to a cage, stating that she would stay in there from now on. 

A cat might have been able to live in such conditions, but alas she was not a feline.

And she ran, ran away and hid despite the searches until he gave up.

Strangers now they are. Perhaps they would meet again but she did not hate him.

The final and most recent crack was caused by none other than the twin Saeran never got to reconnect with.

Choi Saeyoung. 

It started off funny, her accidentally calling his number as she was trying to dial her therapist. 

They talked despite the initial misconception and soon grew close despite never having seen eachother in real life. 

Close enough for her to experience love. She loved Choi Saeyoung, a nameless figure whom she should have never interacted with.

(He knew everything about her, how could he not?)

Well…

Until the topic of family came up. It was sensitive for her and likewise for Saeyoung. However unlike her he was secretive to a fault. 

He, not once, spoke of any family. 

Nonetheless, he slipped one day, talking of a brother.

"What's his name?" 

He stumbled, stuttering and denying any such allegations.

"No. I never said that."

Defensive and secretive. Honestly, she really did love him enough to look past the flaws.

"Don't lie to me please. I've had enough." He knew, she had told him everything. (Nothing he didn't know.)

"Saeran. His name is Saeran." 

No matter how much she wanted to protect him. She couldn't. She wouldn't let him live his live chasing after a lie even if it meant that she would never hear from him again. 

She loved him too much for that.

"Saeran is dead. He committed suicide after shooting Kim Jihyun." 

He never called again.

 

And so she was alone once more with five cracks that should have led to her death.

"How are you alive?"

"I've learnt to live, to try my hardest. My heart is physical, my will is not. I will get hurt, maybe more than others but my life is precious to me. I was hurt, I saw things and I've experienced rock bottom. But I will live. I will live for Saeran and I will live for Jihyun. I live to wish well for Jumin and Saeyoung and I live to wish nothing but hell for her."

"I refuse to die until it is my time, that is why I am alive."


	59. Written in our heart~ || Saeran x Fem Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains mentions of death and spoilers

'You're so bright and beautiful Saeran-ah, you're just stuck in a dark place.'

The words that had always been on his skin, always on his mind and in his heart. Ever since he could read, he had a special place in his soul for the beautifully inked letters, the elegance of the script and the flow of the words matching wonderfully.

'Bright and beautiful'.

Maybe he disagreed, beauty the furthest thing from his mind as he suffered alone, his brother his only solace, the only brightness in the darkness that seemed to envelope them both.

He couldn't remember how many times he had read over the phrase on his wrist, each individual letter engrained into his thoughts. Through his most agonising times, hours where he believed himself to be as good as dead, the only shred of hope he had found was the knowledge of his soulmate.

That someone out there was waiting for him; to save him.

Saeran knew everyone had someone fated for them, someone who was their other half, but the way in which they were found was different.

Each person had a unique system; some with the names of their soulmates, some tasting the food that their partner was eating, and others even having a compass to show them where in the world they were.

Saeran, as you know, had words written on him, destined to be spoken from the maws of his other half - while Saeyoung had been given a timer, each second ticking away restlessly ever since he had been born.

In a way, Saeyoung had it easy. In 6 years, five weeks and 22 days exactly, he would meet his soulmate, he has nothing extra that he had to do other than live his life.

But, Saeran supposed, the waiting game was more than likely terribly agonising.

And so, he was content with the writing, holding it close to his heart even as his whole life fell apart around him - stability knew not his name.

* * *

 

'You're just stuck in a **dark**  place.'

He really was, both figuratively and literally.

Saeyoung had gone, left him for only god knew he long. But he did not care, he had his own comfort and he had faith in his brother. His brother would come back for him, no matter what _she_ said.

His mother was not here to yell at him anymore, his constant terror was eased - even if only for a little while. Amber hues scoured the surroundings; the bookshelves, the scenery, the old leather covered books and magazines, **everything**.

Reading was his escape, the one thing he could do to get out of his own head, to get _her_ words out of his head. Each page sucked him in, keeping him distant from the chaos that revolved around him, keeping him running on empty as his wrist thrummed, pulsing insistantly to draw his attention.

Saeran was 16, still but a mere child.

The older he got, the more was placed onto him. No longer was he able to spend his time in the gardens, fingers grazing each and every petal. Instead? He was doomed behind a desk, the words once printed on his beloved books now in strings across the glowing screen.

Glow as brightly as it may, they could never fully capture his attention, eyes drifting to the one thing he could truly call his own.

'Saeran-ah.' His lips soundlessly formed the words, a feeling of _something warm_ bubbling within his gut.

Whispers of worthlessness did not reach him, they were not allowed to reach him. Not as long as his soulmate's scrawl remained on him, the letters changing along with their handwriting.

Nights and days bled together, the two indistinguishable from the other as he typed, and typed, and typed. Sleep was unobtainable, a pleasure that he did not deserve unless _she_ said so.

His mind was tired but his heart was not, his diligence carrying his spirit through the work that remained as gruelling as ever.

Saeran was 16 and he felt nothing short of 100.

* * *

 

19, he was 19.

Every day his health got worse, his migraines were almost crippling. Each pang that vibrated in his head made him since, his chapped lips pulled downwards into a frown.

The elixr was the cure, but it was also the burden. It tasted terrible, like all his sins had been turned into a liquid just to damn him as he coughed it down violently. Beg as he may, The Saviour would not allowed him to stop. It was his salvation, the srink that would lead him to paradise.

"With your soulmate," she had promised, cooing the enticing words into his ears, "you'll be together forever."

And he believed her, why wouldn't he? His soulmate would be there for him, waiting for him and give him the love he crave, the acceptance he so desperately desired.

He would drink the elixr if it meant that he would have his happy ending.

How long have it been since he had seen Saeyo- no, he wasn't suppose to think about him, he was te taitor, the man that left save himself. Saeyoung wasn't his brother, he was a nameless piece of shit that he had to get over (no matter he much it hurt.)

The Saviour told him that and the Saviour was _always_ right.

-But he couldn't accept the reasoning behind the furious rubbing of his wrist, like she was trying to erase his mark all together.-

It was bitter, burning his throat as it slid down into his stomach, the migraine returning with full force until he could barely think straight.

'Beautiful, Saeran-ah.'

And suddenly it didn't matter anymore, he was fine.

* * *

 

Was it normal for him to care so little yet so much at the same time?

The answer was no, but he didn't fight it. This was his life now and all it would ever be. His soulmate wasn't out there, they would never be there.

The Saviour was right all along, it was all a fruitless attempt at happiness and belonging that he wouldn't ever receive.

Writing that used to bring him so much joy now only invoked a sense of helplessness, his mind screaming for him to give up, to let go; his heart would not allow him to lebgo o his inhabitions.

Maybe that was his hands shook as he held the gun, his fingers trembling as he stared wide eyed at the mess around him.

Was this what his life was? What he had become?

Saeran felt sick.

Screams and pants rang in his ears, droplets of red splattered against the floor, but he did not lower his arm.

He couldn't see, he was blinded that was his fatal mistake.

'Stop!' He shrieked desperately, but no one heard, 'STOP!'

The trigger was pulled, the bullet whizzing through the air towards the man who betrayed him, almost hitting him.

But it didn't.

It missed him entirely, instead hitting a girl that looked no older than him, the impact making her shudder as blood spilled down her front.

"F-fuck," guilt twisted in his gut, the gun dropping to the floor as she knelt on the dirty ground with habds pressing desperately on the wound.

"Shit, SHIT! I'm so sorry, fuck!" His mumblings were incoherent, indistinguishable from the commotion surrounding them.

"Saeran-ah," He looked up, vision blurry with unshed tears of remorse, watching as she dragged herself closer until she was only a few inches away, blood steadily trickling from between her fingers, "Saeran-ah, don't cry, it's okay."

He wanted to believe her, he really did.

"W-who are you?"

She only smiled, the guesture full of pain and badly disguised regret.

"I'm so sorry, Saeran. I was never good enough for you. Please be happy and live a good life." Her breathing was laboured, tired as she grew weaker.

She was dying - seconds away from taking her last breath.

" ** _You're so bright and beautiful Saeran-ah, you're just stuck in a dark place."_**

His eyes widened, and for a moment he was over come with delight, his heart beating furiously in his chest as he gasped.

But then he realised, realised just what that meant.

She was his soulmate.

Her lips were beautiful, parted ever so slightly as she gazed into his eyes, glassy from pain.

The words died on her lips, her body falling limp on his lap, blood staining his clothes.

Saeran had a soulmate, and the words written on neatly on his wrist were the last words his soulmate would ever say to him.


	60. Me and You~ || V x Fem Reader

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mermaid AU

To people water was wet, water was clean - something they drank and nothing more.

To Jihyun it was his haven, the soft blue hue of the ocean and seas along with the secrets that water could hide, he loved everything to do with it.

He found it soothing to sit beside big bodies of it, to let his long legs dip into the liquid and allow it to gently lap at his feet. Calming, it was calming.

The sky was darkening, various shades of pinks and orange filling up the vast expanse, once warm air cooling down to a cooler, more nipping breeze that bit at his exposed skin, a shiver running down his spine.

No one was around right now, the area completely secluded. It was to be expected, not many people knew about the open caves that were hidden away. It had took him, a rather adventurous young man, a while you find them so it was doubtful other less eager people would find it too.

Here he was free, able to do as he pleased. Whether it was staring out at the horizon of water until the moon reflected and glittered in it's depths, or playing with the wildlife and nature that scuttled around: there was always something to be done.

His hand dipped in the water, the temperature of it pleasant enough to have him humming.

"It's okay to come out, there's no one around," The sound of splashing did not phase him, hand swirling the water around and letting it drop from his fingertips, taking pleasure in watching the droplets slide down his arm.

"You're here early, what's the matter?" The voice that responded was as smooth as the waves themselves, each syllable rolling and blending with each other in a melodic manner. "Has something upset you?"

Jihyun shook his head, wet strands of blue displacing themselves and obscured his vision. "No, I was just lonely," he looked up at the sound of a chuckle, taking her form in that sat just at the edge of the shallow pool.

"So you came here? I don't expect any different, Hyunnie," The nickname left his cheeks flushing every time, his heart racing like he was a school boy with a crush.

But how could he not? She was beautiful, utterly stunning. So much so that it made him wonder why someone like herself would bother waiting for him- a plain and mundane boy who came to the ocean because he was lonely.

A comfortable silence fell, his eyes wandering briefly across her figure. First he stared at the weirdly dry locks of her hair, she never told him how she managed to keep it looking perfect and untouched. Then down to her torso that was covered by some sort of seaweed, covering everything that needed to be covered. But the last thing that never failed to enarmour him was the beautiful scales that ran across her legs and onto her hips. They glittered a beautiful pink in the sun's rays and purple in the moonlight. Overall, she was effortlessly gorgeous.

"Why don't you leave?" It was a whisper, barely audible over the sounds of the night, but he had heard it.

His hands continued to dip into the water, raising them to that he could press the wet digits to his skin. "I can't," it dripped down his face, "I just can't leave."

Lips pulled into a straight line, body shifting onto the cave floor beside him. "You think you can't. You've boxed yourself in and you refuse to look for a way out," her words were true and that irked him immensely, fingers tensing as he wiped them dry on his trousers. "Jihyun, you know exactly what you're doing."

"I can't. I don't how I could, father is depending on me," it was his father and his damn company that was holding him captive, shoving him inside of a cage ever since he was sold enough to understand that he was not normal.

Kim Jihyun was a prisoner, force to bend to every whim and urge of his father. It was his duty as the eldest to follow in his father's steps, to uphold the Kim family name and make himself worthwhile.  

So many nights were spent wondering and just staring, thoughts rushing through his head about his future and what decision he should make. Logically he knew that he should take his fathers place, rule the company and oversee everything. But his heart said otherwise - he wanted to be and artist, a painter that inspired others. He wanted to show people what he saw and the beauty of everything that he knew.

A company would offer him no such freedom but being an artist would not offer him the same stability.

She knew this and it was exactly the reason why there was a silence ringing throughout the cave. "You're a prisoner to yourself, Hyunnie. You need to do what your heart is telling you, your mind does the most sensible thing but it will not fulfill you," She spoke like she had seen the world in its entirety and understood everything about the universe around them.

And judging by the wisdom and understanding that shone in her eyes, the knowing glint in her hue, she knew exactly what horrors the world had to offer.

Her hand slipped on top of his, squeezing gently and coating the top of his hands with a thin layer of perspiration. "I've been in the same situation as you, and I picked using my head," her smile was sad, aloof and rather melancholy; and expression he had never seen in her before. "I hate it and I wish so badly that I had chosen my heart instead." Stroking the skin softly, her hand slipped away and laid to rest on the smooth floor.

"What did you do?" Maybe he was overstepping his boundaries by asking, but he was curious and the thought of someone like her making the wrong choice was so absurd that it made his mouth move before his mind.

Her gaze was empty, not looking at anything in particular. "I did not tell my sister I loved her when I did, I loved her with my entire being," there was no need for further elaboration, the grief that laced her tone and shone under her eyes was enough for the full story to be told.

"I'm sorry," she only laughed, hand resting on his shoulder before she began to climb back into the pool of water, lower body submerged within.

"Don't be, it was a long time ago. I was silly and spoke untrue things because my head told me to. I know better now and I've grown from it, I hope she has forgiven me," he could not will himself to meet her eyes, instead poking at the stone, "do what your heart says. Your passion is what you should follow, but do take time to think."

Their time today was short and she had willingly done this, waving goodbye before slipping into The darkness that engulfed her so flawlessly, leaving no trace apart from the soft rippling of the water.

Jihyun had something to do and he would do it; now motivated by the words of someone who held the weight of the world on their shoulders.

* * *

 

"Father?" his heart was racing, pumping furiously as though it was trying to beat out of his chest. He was 21, he could make his own decisions, he wasn't the silly little boy who cowered away, who said cruel and unjust things to people who did not deserve it.

"Yes?" As usual, his father did not look at him while he spoke, writing down furiously on papers and documents that Jihyun knew he would have to fill out one day. "Is something the matter?"

He was going to do it, he had to do it.

Gulping thickly, the words sticking like adhesive to the back of his throat, he spoke. "I don't want to inherit the company," he started, lowering his eyes to avoid looking into his father's that were surely staring at him, "I want to become an artist, a painter."

The silence was sickening, his stomach lurching as nothing was spoken. He hated it, it was nothing like the comforting quiet that surrounded him when he was with her, where the sounds of their breathing mixed together to comfort him.

A chuckle broke the silence, startling Jihyun.

"That is a funny joke, Son. You had me there, now go, stop being silly," His father didn't believe him.

Jihyun had expected this but he hadn't expected for it to hurt so badly. He always knew that his father didn't believe in the arts, he thought of it as a waste of time and energy; that you would never make yourself anything from it.

But he wasn't going to stand there and be belittled, she had taught him better than to be talked down to.

"I'm not joking, Father," the quiet returned tenfold, the hairs on his arm bristling with discomfort as his father's brows furrowed.

"Kim Jihyun, you are not serious,"

"I am. I want to be an artist, I don't want the company. My sister can have it, I do not wish to inherit any part of it," and he was staring straight into the depths of hell, the angered irises of his father damning him for eternity.

"You will **_not_** be an artist. Get that fantasy out of your head, people who become artists are nothing but low minded individuals who think with their heart. They're caught up in their own little world and don't realise that a flick of paint doesn't equal stability. Get out Jihyun, and return when you've gotten over yourself," so he did leave, Jihyun turned on his heel and left without a single word.

If his father did not support him then he will leave as instructed to someone who would.

* * *

 

"-please," his sentence ended with a plea, desperation cracking his words and making him gulp.

She was blank, expression completely neutral as she examined him. It was rare that she ever stood up to her full height, finding it more comfortable to be sat down - but right now she was standing with her arms crossed.

The night was warm, his backpack heavy and the small bag in his hands carrying his whole world.

"You have thought about this? You know of the dangers?" He knew, he knew the dangers so well that he could recite them word for word. Every single time he asked, he would always receive the same look of umbrage; like he was being stupid for even considering it.

"Yes," this was his final choice, "I want to go with you. I won't get anywhere here because no one wants to believe in what I want," her visage remained virtually the same, a single brow raising before a hand trailed through her hair.

A sigh passed her lips, her toes curling in the pool of water she stood in, "you are completely sure? You have thought about this?" He would be a fool if he hadn't.

He knew that the second that she transformed him that his human life was over, he would become one of her kind, a merperson. Never again would he be able to walk on land, always having to be near or in water otherwise he would turn to dust, to disown his life as he knew it and live with no inhibitions.

That was exactly what he wanted.

Her hand outstretched, palm awaiting his as she tested him, waiting to see if he would go through with it.

With one final glance towards the land that he would never step on again, he accepted his fate and placed his hand in hers, his fingers lacing tightly with hers. "I really want this."

She smiled, laughing loudly and shaking her head at his gall. "Kim Jihyun, you are one ballsy bastard," and the soft kiss that pressed against his lips sealed the deal.

His smile was happy, the bag on his back tightening as he stepped into the water, a pleasant shudder travelling up his spine. This was his home.

The water was his haven and now he would never have to leave it. 


End file.
